


Pirates! The Tides That Bind

by MandaaBears



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: F/M, James Potter is South Asian so deal with it!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 15:22:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 32,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16370150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MandaaBears/pseuds/MandaaBears
Summary: James Potter has always lived the comfortable life of an aristocrat on the bustling island of Port Royal. But his heart yearns for the open sea. And for the love of the bright and beautiful blacksmith, Lily Evans. When Sirius Black shows up in Port Royal with no ship, no crew, and a penchant for disaster, the entire world turns on its head.





	1. Curses, Kidnappings, and Other Annoying Things

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Adri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adri/gifts).



James had never been across the ocean. He could hear the crew laughing at him as he braced against the harsh spray coming over the prow. He didn’t pay them any mind. He was on an adventure and he wouldn’t let this rowdy bunch spoil any of it. It had been some weeks since the King himself had appointed his father governor of Port Royal. James, being ten, didn’t know what that meant or why they had to leave England because of it, and he had been quite grumpy at first. But then they had set sail, and something about the sting of the sea and the reckless toss of the ship had sparked a kindred recklessness in him.

His poor, long suffering mother quickly tired of his galloping about the deck and trying to join the crew in the ratlines while crowing pirate shanties. While the crew found it amusing, eventually Eshnaa had to retire below deck.

“ _Bittu,_ you’re going to give me a heart attack,” she fanned herself breathlessly. “You mind yourself around Lieutenant McKinnon. And _don’t_ go jumping overboard.”

“Yes, Amma,” James had said and scampered off. He _had_ intended to mind himself but he’d had ever so many questions to ask the lieutenant, to the point where Lieutenant McKinnon had pressed his fingers over his eyes wearily and told him, on no uncertain terms, to leave.

And that’s how he found himself at the prow of the ship, watching it cut through the thick fog ahead.

“James, you’ll catch your death,” Fatapal Potter chided as he draped a wool blanket around his son’s shoulders.

James smiled, teeth chattering, “Thank you, Appa. Has the lieutenant’s headache gone away?” He tried to hide the cheeky smirk on his face but his father saw anyway and frowned.

Fatapal clucked his tongue, “You shouldn’t tease him, James. If you intend to join the Royal Navy someday, you’ll need a connection like Lieutenant McKinnon.”

“Maybe I don’t want to join the navy,” James sulked. “Appa—”

“James, you _must_ practice calling me ‘Father,’ I’ve told you this,” said his father, perhaps a bit more sharply than he meant to.

“Yes, _Father_ ,” James corrected himself quietly. They were ‘The Potters’ now. Fleamont and Euphemia and James. Idiotic names but if they wanted to belong anywhere, they had to play the part. He peered up at Fatapal—no, _Fleamont._ His father looked so tall and strong in his new suit and hat. James stood a little bit taller and attempted to fix his unkempt hair, bits of it white with dried salt. Fleamont smiled and fondly placed a hand on James’ shoulder before strolling away, undoubtedly going to see to Important Business.

_Clunk._

Something large struck the hull of the ship, causing James to jump. He moved closer to the rail curiously, just in time to see a hunk of driftwood floating away. The encounter was wholly uninteresting to him. That is, until he saw the lady’s parasol floating closely behind it. Before he’d had a moment to process the oddity of it, he saw a splash of red appear out of the mist, stark and brilliant against the deep indigo of the sea. A girl, clinging to a floating bit of wreckage, was drifting toward the ship.

“S-someone, help!” James cried. “There’s a girl in the water!”

“A what?”

“A girl!”

“Man overboard!”

The crew burst into a flurry, a man or two jumping into the water. James was jostled this way and that as he pressed into the crowd, desperate to see the action unfold. Desperate to see if she was alive. He caught a glimpse of a small delicate hand as the men tried to shunt him aside.

“She’s still breathing!” he heard someone cry. He finally managed to get through the crowd and, at his feet, lay the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. He even looked down at her feet to make good and sure she wasn’t actually a mermaid. Like the ones he’d read in his books. Her red hair was fanned out around her ashen face, and James had the impression that if he touched it, it would burn.

A chorus of gasps drew his attention away and he followed the gazes of the crew back out to the water.

“Good heavens,” Fleamont took off his hat in astonishment. “No, Euphemia, stay below.”

James faintly recognized his mother trying to come up and see the commotion, but a strange ringing had begun in his ears. The ghostly wreckage of a passenger ship was still half afloat in the water ahead. What remained out of the water was on fire, billowing clouds of black smoke. And though he held his breath to listen, he could hear no voices, no one crying for help. He thought he saw a body but before he could look closer, his eyes were covered.

“Jaipal,” his father spun him away from the macabre scene, forgetting himself for a moment. “James. I want you to look after the girl, can you do that for me? Take care of her.”

“Yes, Father,” James nodded and hurried to her side. She hadn’t moved an inch amidst the chaos around her, but some of the color had come back into her cheeks. He carefully made to brush her hair out of her face but she shot up with a gasp, grabbing his wrist in a much stronger grip than he would have given her credit for.

“It’s all right!” James said, trying not to yelp. “It’s all right, you’re safe. I’m James Potter.”

“L-Lily Evans,” said the girl, her green eyes cautious and her grip unrelenting. In fact, James thought she was squeezing harder.

“I’m going to take care of you, Lily Evans,” he said gently and gave her a smile.

The corner of her mouth turned up the slightest bit then, like a candle snuffed out in the wind, she fainted dead away. James pulled his arm back and rubbed his wrist where she’d grabbed it. He decided the gentlemanly thing to do was to give her a blanket, so he shrugged his off and leaned over to cover her with it. As he did, he saw glint of gold peeking out from under her hair. Knowing it was the height of impropriety, and that his mother would have a fit if he so much as looked at a lady’s neck, he did his best to ignore it. His resolve to be gentlemanly wavered after all of about fifteen seconds and, seeing as everyone else was occupied, he made a lightning fast grab for the necklace.

He dropped it just as quickly, as if burned by the thing. What he thought might be a locket, hiding the faces of family or admirer, turned out to be a medallion with a skull staring up at him with eyeless sockets and a ghostly grin.

“You’re a…pirate?” he whispered, looking at Lily’s sleeping face. _Could girls even_ be _pirates?_

“Well, young master James?” Lieutenant McKinnon’s sharp voice startled James and he covered the medallion with his boot.

“Her name’s Lily Evans,” he said hurriedly. “That’s all I found out.”

“Good lad,” said McKinnon. He turned to another crew member. “Take Miss Evans below to Lady Euphemia.”

The crewmember lifted Lily’s limp body and carried her away. James waited until everyone had forgotten about him again before stooping down and pocketing the medallion. As he stood he cast one last look out at the chaos of the water. His blood turned to ice in his veins as he saw the receding, but unmistakable shape of a ship flying pirate colors. A ship with black sails.

 

James awoke with a start. It took him a moment to remember where he was, the taste of smoke and sea water still on his tongue. He pressed the heels of his hands over his eyes until he saw stars. This was his room, as it had been for the last ten years. He was in his bed, and today…what was today? Something important. He could still see the imprint of the skull on the backs of his eyelids. Throwing the blankets off, he jumped out of bed and crossed to his desk. Opening one of the drawers and emptying it of its contents. For the first time since the crossing from England, he opened the false bottom and looked down at Lily’s medallion. It glared up at him from under a layer of dust.

“What are _you_ looking at?” he grumbled at it and took it out of the drawer. After a spit shine, he put it on and let the cold metal rest against his chest. It was odd. Even as it sat against his sleep-warm skin, the metal grew no warmer. He had a mind to take it off but suddenly his father was knocking on the door.

“Just a minute!” he called and managed to get a shirt on before his father and a flurry of servants swept into the room. “Oh, do come in, won’t you?” He said dryly, wincing as a servant threw open the windows.

“Still abed at this hour?” Fleamont gave James a smile and a sigh. “I have a gift for you, son.”

James’ footman came forward with a large box. James stepped away from it distrustfully.

“What’s the occasion?” He suspiciously raised an eyebrow at his father.

“Can’t a father dote on his son?” Fleamont looked wounded but James knew him well enough to know a buttering-up when he saw one. Nonetheless, he opened the box. He was pleasantly surprised to find a brand new suit, a robin’s egg blue with silver forget-me-nots stitched into it.

“Oh, _Father,_ it’s…I don’t know what to say,” James grinned and disappeared behind the changing curtain to put it on.

“Yes, it’s the new style. All the rage in Paris according to your mother,” Fleamont said. James shifted as the footman helped lace and button everything. As most new suits, it was tight and heavy, nothing a bit of wear wouldn’t solve. Although, now that the windows were open, he could tell it was going to be extremely hot out. He tried to think of a delicate way to say there was no way in hell he could wear it out and not succumb to the elements.

“I had hoped you would wear it to the ceremony today,” his father said before James could speak.

“Ceremony?” James tried to remember what his father had been droning on about the night before at dinner. Was that the important thing he had forgotten this morning?

“Captain McKinnon’s promotion ceremony, of course.”

 _Now_ it was clear. James let his head fall forward and held in a sigh.

“Miss McKinnon wouldn’t happen to be attending, would she?” he asked in measured tones.

“She is his daughter, James,” Fleamont replied. “Will you come out so I can see you?”

James came out from behind the screen and tried to get the sour look off of his face.

“Marlene is a very nice girl, James,” said Fleamont. “It’s a fine match.”

“Appa, _please,_ ” James’ sigh was nearly a growl at this point, so fed up was he with this conversation. He crossed to the mirror to try and keep his cravat from killing him.

“It’s a fine match, James,” his father repeated, more sternly this time. “Commodore McKinnon and I have already come to an agreement.”

James whirled on his father, a cry on indignation on his lips but Fleamont held up a hand.

“I didn’t argue when you decided not to go into politics. I didn’t argue when you decided to defer joining the Navy another year. But you’re standing still, son. You know what is expected of you, and you _must_ move forward.”

“But—”

“And it would so please your mother.”

That was the final brick. James’ shoulders slumped.

“That was mean,” he said, running his fingers through his hair.

“I don’t mean to be, _bittu,_ ” this old term of endearment sent a shock through James. He looked up at his father. He was older now, but he was still so tall and strong. James stood straighter.

“I won’t disappoint you, Father,” he said.

Fleamont took James’ head in his hands and kissed his crown, as if he were still a boy, “You never could, son.”

The rest of the morning, James simply went through the motions. Ate when he was supposed to eat, spoke when he was supposed to speak. It wasn’t as though he didn’t _like_ Marlene McKinnon. They had been childhood playmates and she tagged along with him on his wild antics up until she was shipped off to finishing school. When she came back she was…different. More proper. She would still tease him at the dinner table and she never missed an opportunity to tell him how stupid his hair looked, even in front of guests which he found infinitely amusing. But the thought of marrying her never once crossed him mind until Fleamont brought it up some months ago. He had always imagined someone else at his side. Someone like…

“Lily!” James was shouting from the top of the stairs before he realized he was doing so.

Lily Evans stood in his entryway holding a sabre, dressed as usual in a nondescript frock and apron with her red hair tied back with a strip of leather. Even after working in the blacksmith’s shop and running around all over town to deliver orders, she was just as beautiful as the day they met. She looked up and smiled sheepishly as he came down the stairs.

“It’s good to see you,” he said, smiling. “I had a dream about you last night.”

“Good heavens,” James hadn’t even noticed his mother and father standing there.

“James, is that really appropriate?” Fleamont looked embarrassed but James ignored him.

“It was about the first time we met, do you remember?” he asked eagerly.

“How could I forget, Mr. Potter?” Lily smiled, her eyes shining.

“How many times must I ask you to call me ‘James’?” he grinned at her, hoping to coax another smile out of her.

Instead she looked embarrassed, fussing with a fray on her sleeve, “At least once more, Mr. Potter.”

James’ smile slid off his face. He really set himself up for that one, he had to admit.

“There. At least the girl knows some propriety. Give my thanks to your master, Miss Evans,” Fleamont said, gesturing vaguely to the saber “We must be off. Say goodbye, son.”

James looked at Lily, desperately trying to communicate with his eyes. He wanted more than anything to tell her. Tell her everything was going to be different now. That everything was ending now. But it was no use. She could see the desperation in his eyes but it only confused her. Her eyebrows knit together and she gave the barest shake of her head. James took a breath.

“Goodbye, Miss Evans,” he bowed. An unnecessary gesture as she was far below his station. It made his mother click her tongue at him and Lily was also taken aback.

“G-goodbye,” she bobbed a curtsy and James could feel her eyes on him as he left. He thought for a moment he heard her breathe his name, and hope swelled in him. He looked back and saw her watching them climb into the carriage. Then her attention was drawn away as the butler paid her what she was owed. James shook his head and made sure to squash what little hope he had left down into the deepest part of himself.

The promotion ceremony was probably the dullest affair James had ever been to. Captain McKinnon, rather _Commodore_ McKinnon, was made to do all sorts of things that James found rather ridiculous. Strutting around the ceremony ground, waving a saber around like a lunatic. Not only was James bored to tears, he was so hot he seriously thought about snatching the fan out of Marlene’s hand and using it on himself. The cravat only seemed to tighten the more he tried to loosen it. After fifteen minutes of fussing with it, his mother smacked his hand and he was forced to stop. At least he would die of heat stroke before he had to propose.

Unfortunately, the sweet release of death was postponed as the ceremony finished and James was allowed to find some shade. He was sweating through his clothes, he just knew it.

“Master James,” Commodore McKinnon’s voice startled him. As usual, the man had a knack for sneaking up on him.

“Ah hello, Commodore,” James said nervously. “Allow me to congratulate you.” Too late, he realized that his hands were soaked with sweat but he’d already thrust one out to shake.

McKinnon shook his hand and had the good graces not to immediately wipe it on his pant leg, “I spoke with your father.”

“Yes…I see,” James felt his stomach sink. “I know you don’t think much of me, sir. But I’ll make Marlene happy.”

“I know you will,” said McKinnon, somehow managing to make a smile look threatening. He patted James on the back and walked away. James looked around the fort, eyes flickering over the guests until he saw Marlene standing with a group of ladies not too far away. James straightened his jacket and sighed.

“Let’s go, Potter,” he muttered to himself as he strode over to Marlene. “Good afternoon, Miss. McKinnon.”

Marlene smiled and curtsied, “Good afternoon, Mr. Potter.”

“Care for a walk?” James held out his arm to her. Her smile deepened, a dimple appearing on her cheek.

“So formal today,” she said, taking his arm.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know why,” James chuckled, sounding bitter in spite of himself.

Marlene didn’t reply, but pursed her lips in a thin line as she fanned herself. The sun was now beating down with a vengeance and James gave his cravat another tug.

“Are you all right, James?” Marlene asked as they found a secluded spot at the top parapet. “You look flushed.”

“Nervous, I suppose,” he let go over her arm and took a deep breath. The smell of the sea was centering, but the humid air felt as though it were sticking to his throat. “Your father has spoken to you?”

“Well…yes,” Marlene looked at the ground.

“I…know it isn’t ideal, Mar, but I am very fond of you. I think it would be…be a good thing, getting married,” the edges of his vision started to blur a bit and he rubbed his eyelids to try and clear it.

“I had rather hoped for something a bit deeper than fondness,” Marlene replied sourly but the quickly remembered herself. “I suppose…we don’t have much choice, do we?”

“I suppose not,” James put a hand to his chest, feeling suddenly ice cold. “I…I can’t breathe.”

“Well there’s nothing to be done about it,” Marlene turned from him and sighed. As if through a fog, James heard her accept his proposal but all at once he felt the air go out of him and he was falling, falling. He heard a distant scream, then there was nothing but blackness.

 

James came to violently, coughing up sea water. He recognized he was lying on the docks of the harbor, but what he didn’t recognize was the person kneeling over him. He had a roguish look about him, wild hair, wild eyes, and a quizzical look on his face. Before James could move, the young man grabbed the medallion around his neck and stared at it reverently.

“Where did you get _that?_ ” he asked, eyes wide. James simply gaped at him. He’d never seen anyone like him before and he had a _lot_ of questions. Then the thunder of boots drew everyone’s attention. Commodore McKinnon led a small platoon of soldiers down the dock, pistol cocked and pointed at the man.

“Get away from him!” Fleamont shoved his way through the soldiers and hauled James to his feet. At this moment, James was starkly aware he was in his underthings, his new suit nowhere in sight. Fleamont shrugged off his own coat and threw it over James. “Shoot him!”

“No!” James cried, finding his voice at last. “You really intend to put a bullet through my rescuer?”

He leveled his gaze at the Commodore. McKinnon reluctantly lowered his pistol and the other soldiers followed suit.

“I suppose thanks are in order,” McKinnon held out his hand. The man eyed him cautiously then made as if to shake. James’ relief evaporated as McKinnon tightened his grip and pulled back the man’s sleeve. The letter P had been branded on the man’s right arm, exposing him as a pirate to God and everyone.

“Had a brush with the East India Trading Company, have we?” McKinnon said acidly. “Pirate?”

Fleamont’s eyebrows shot up, “Hang him.”

“Father!” James protested.

“Keep your guns on him, men. Podmore, fetch some irons,” McKinnon commanded. He pulled the man’s sleeve up more and James could see the tattoo of a black dog. “Well, well. Sirius Black, is it?”

“ _Captain_ Sirius Black, if you please, sir,” replied Sirius, looking affronted.

“Oh?” Commodore McKinnon looked around the harbor. “I don’t see your ship, _Captain._ ”

“Out for repairs,” Black smirked and buttoned up his sleeve again.

“These are his, sir,” a soldier held up a misshapen bundle. “He dropped them before jumping into the water.”

“What have we here?” McKinnon said dryly, picking up each item in turn and looking it over. “A pistol with one shot, no additional powder. A compass that doesn’t point North and…” he pulled the sword out of its sheath. “I half expected it to be made of wood.”

Black flinched as McKinnon shoved the sword back into the sheath with a scrape.

“You are no doubt the _worst_ pirate I’ve ever heard of,” said the Commodore.

“Ah, but you _have_ heard of me,” Black grinned. James let out a snort of laughter and Black cocked an eyebrow at him. This only seemed to infuriate Commodore McKinnon. He grabbed Black roughly by the arm and began to march him down the docks.

“Commodore, I really must protest!” James quickly broke free of his father. He stepped between McKinnon and Black as Sturgis Podmore clapped him in irons. “Pirate or not, this man saved my life.”

“James, one good deed is not enough to absolve a man from a lifetime of wickedness,” McKinnon said firmly.

“But it seems enough to condemn him,” Black pointed out from over James’ shoulder.

“You’re not helping,” James said through gritted teeth. He looked to Fleamont. “Father?”

Before Fleamont could answer, James heard the click of the irons locking followed by a chuckle from Black.

“Finally,” he said and James felt the cold metal chain slip around his neck as Black threw the shackles over his head like a garrote. The entire company froze and McKinnon put a hand to his holster.

“Easy, easy…” Black said, almost soothingly. “No one has to get hurt. Commodore McKinnon, my effects please. And my hat.”

McKinnon remained rigid as a statue, glaring furiously at Black.

“Commodore!” Black goaded.

McKinnon sighed and nodded to the soldier holding Black’s effects.

“James, love, if you wouldn’t mind,” Black gave him a nudge from behind.

James took the weapons, feeling a bit put out. Black snatched the pistol off of the top and pointed it at James’ head. It was this action that made James say acidly, “It’s Mr. Potter.”

Black just grinned that lopsided grin at him. James fumbled for a moment, strapping Black’s belt back on and slapping the hat back on his head.

“You’re an asshole,” James said in a low voice.

“Sticks and stones, love,” Black smirked. “Besides, I saved your life, now you saved mine. I’d call that square.”

“Just go,” James rolled his eyes, more inconvenienced than angry.

“Not without a bit of bravado,” Black tipped his head courteously. Then he spun James around and raised his voice for all to hear. “Gentlemen. James. You will always remember this as the day that you _almost_ caught Captain Sirius Black.”

With that, Black gave James a hard shove into the arms of McKinnon and his father. James turned around just in time to see Black kick a metal winch, and shoot into the air as he held on to the end of a rope. The cannon attached to the other end of the rope acted as a counterweight, and split the dock below him, stopping the soldiers that made to grab for him.

“ _Now_ will you shoot him?” Fleamont shouted at McKinnon.

“Open fire!” the Commodore roared at his soldiers. The crack of gunfire was enough to make James cover his ears, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Black as he performed a series of mid-air gymnastics, jumping from the mast of a ship down onto the cobblestones of the harbor front. The soldiers took off after him and James took a step to follow but Fleamont had a vice grip on his arm.

“We’re going home this minute before you catch your death!” said his father, pulling him back.

James didn’t protest as he was dragged off towards a waiting carriage but he watched the soldiers scatter into the city, hoping Sirius Black had enough of a head start.

 

“’Give my thanks to your master,’ oh yes, I’ll just do that!”

Lily was in a fine temper after leaving the Potter estate. There was nothing she hated more than letting her drunkard ‘master’ take credit for her work. And she worked _hard._ Blacksmithing was brutal by trade, and Mr. Brown had refused to teach her, only taking her in at his wife’s insistence. Woman’s work was cleaning and currying, according to the Browns, and now that Mrs. Brown had passed, Lily was expected to take care of the household as well.

Eventually, Lily figured out that if she rose early enough in the morning, she could finish the housework, then sneak down to watch Mr. Brown at the forge. When he drank himself into unconsciousness, she would come out from her hiding spot and take a turn with the forge herself. It was a lot of trial and error and burnt fingers, but she’d slowly honed her skill. The saber she’d made for Commodore McKinnon’s promotion was her finest work yet and _again_ Mr. Drunk-By-Seven Brown was getting all the credit and the money for it.

Well, not _all_ the money. She may have over-charged Governor Potter by just a hair. Lily fished out the extra money and tucked it into the hidden pocket she’d sewn into her dress. It would go straight into her Getting-The-Hell-Out-Of-Port-Royal Fund. As she kept to the shade of the palms, her mind wandered back to the Potter house. It felt like a punch, seeing James so crestfallen at her unfamiliarity, but it was his own fault. They could never have more than a respectful friendship. He was the governor’s son and things were expected from him, things Lily could never understand.

Although, there was something odd in their parting. He had looked at her with such intensity, such desperation. She knew he was trying to tell her something, or he _wanted_ to tell her something but couldn’t. She stopped walking and plunked herself down on a rock.

“Bloody idiot,” she grumbled, not sure she was talking about James, or herself.

“Lily!”

Marlene’s voice came to her across the water and she saw her writhe free of her mother’s grasp and run over. As she grew nearer, she saw the distress on her face.

“Mar? What is it?” she caught her friend as she skidded to a stop.

“Get inside, it’s not safe!” Marlene panted, gripping her hands tightly. “There’s a pirate on the loose! Haven’t you seen the soldiers?”

“A pirate?” Lily found this incredibly interesting. “You saw him?”

“Yes! As he put a chain around James’ neck!”

Lily felt her knees give a little but Marlene held onto her elbows.

“James is fine now, he’s gone home without a scratch but it was _awful,_ ” Marlene was someone who was rarely shaken, and seeing her so beside herself was cause for alarm. And imagining a chain around James Potter’s neck was an unbearable thought, so she pushed all of her anxiety into comforting Marlene.

“It’s all right,” Lily squeezed Marlene’s hands and tugged her back towards her mother. “Let’s get you home so you can have a lie down. You’re going to faint if you keep going on like this.”

“You’re right,” Marlene opened her fan and gave it a few quick flutters. Lily handed Marlene off to her mother and watched her climb into the family carriage.

“Are you sure you’ll be all right walking home alone?” Marlene leaned out of the window.

“Yes, I promise. It’s just around the corner,” Lily smiled at her.

Marlene pursed her lips, still looking distressed, “Lily…I have to tell you something.”

“Yes?”

“Not here,” Marlene shook her head. “Come see me tomorrow.”

“All right. I will,” Lily gave a nod and watched as the carriage rolled away and disappeared around the corner. Now that she was aware of them, Lily saw the guards of Port Royal streaming through the streets, stopping people to interrogate them, smashing open doors, and being all around barbaric. She managed to evade their notice and she was soon inside the dusty old blacksmith’s shop.

Mr. Brown was still asleep in his chair, mouth open and snoring as he had a cuddle with a rum bottle.

“Right where I left you,” Lily sighed and dropped the purse of money on the table next to him. Then as she looked at the tools on her bench, she noticed quite a few things had been moved.

“Not where I left _you_ ,” she tipped her head and touched one of the misplaced hammers. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a worn, black hat resting on another table. Not recognizing it, she reached out to pick it up and was promptly slapped on the hand with the flat of a sword. She jumped back and found herself staring into the face of a roguishly handsome man wearing broken manacles and pointing a sword at her.

“You…you’re the one they’re hunting,” she said, putting some distance between herself and the tip of that sword. “The pirate.”

“You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?” the man squinted at her. “Although I don’t make a habit of threatening young women.”

“How noble,” Lily spat. “However, I make it my business to avoid familiarity with pirates.”

“Good call,” the man gave her a smirk and lowered his sword. “I’d hate to put a black mark on your record, so allow me to excuse myself.” He bowed and turned to go.

Filled suddenly with a hot rage that burned to the tips of her ears, Lily pulled one of the swords from the wall behind her and pointed it at him. Hearing the scrape of metal, the pirate slowly turned back towards her. His face was grim but amusement danced behind his eyes.

“You don’t wanna do that, love,” he said, looking darkly at her from under long lashes.

“I think I do,” she replied just as darkly. “You threatened James Potter.”

The man barked a laugh, “I _saved_ Mr. Potter, thank you very much. And besides…” He ran his sword down the length of hers. “I only threatened him a little.”

A growl in her throat, Lily leapt. It was obvious the pirate had been expecting her to clumsily swing at him, but the forge had made her strong and the hours she spent practicing made her fast. She nimbly kept out of range, surging forward then parrying back.

“All right, all right,” the man jumped out of her line of fire and looked her up and down. “It’s clear you know what you’re doing. You win. Ta.”

He strode quickly past her and towards the door. Before he could open lift the crossbar, Lily threw her sword like a spear and it stuck in the door above the latch, locking them in together. When he whirled on her this time, there was no amusement in his eyes.

“Impressive, I’ll admit,” he hissed. “But once again you’re between me and my way out. And now,” he pointed his sword at her again, “you don’t have a weapon.”

“Think again,” without missing a beat, Lily pulled the half finished sword out of the forge and held the white hot tip out to him. His face twitched and he took a deeply irritated breath before lunging. Sparks flew from Lily’s sword as they engaged. He was good, of course he was good. But she was better.

The danced around the room, the pirate having to watch his step where Lily knew every inch of the floor by heart. She reached over her head and pulled down another sword as they passed under the great tool wheel in the center of the room.

“Who _makes_ all these?” the pirate sounded inches away from stomping his foot and having a tantrum.

“I do!” Lily grinned and tossed her hair out of her face. “And I practice with them three hours a day!”

The man scoffed and Lily allowed him to grab another sword as well. It’d be no fun unless the odds were fair.

“You need to find yourself a nice young man, love,” said the pirate. Lily gritted her teeth and lunged hard, unsteadying him. He caught her blades with his own as she bore down on him. He looked up at her curiously, a small, nasty smile on his face.

“Or perhaps you already have…” he said. “And you are utterly incapable of getting him to notice you.”

Feeling as though she’d been slapped, Lily at last let out the roar she’d been holding in and struck at him with a renewed fervor. His delighted little laugh only added fuel to the fire and they barreled around the room. Just when Lily could see the battle coming to a close, the pirate grabbed the dust trap from the forge and flung it at her. She yelped as the dust stung her eyes and momentarily choked her. When her eyes cleared, she was looking down the business end of a gun.

“You cheated!” Lily shouted, now feeling it was her turn to stomp her foot and have a yell.

“Pirate,” said the man, flashing her that infuriating smirk.

They both jumped as they heard shouting from outside. Then the door was being assaulted quite violently. The pirate’s eyes flickered behind Lily at the back door. She grabbed a heavy pair of tongs and blocked his path.

“Will you just—” the pirate threw his head back in exasperation then cocked the gun at her. “Move.”

“No,” she said firmly.

“ _Please,_ move?”

“No!” Lily shook her head. “I won’t let you get away!”

“This bullet isn’t for you!” the man sounded truly frantic now, the gun shaking in his hand. Before Lily could work out what that meant, there came the sound of shattering glass. The pirate went suddenly rigid and slumped to the ground. Mr. Brown was standing behind him with a broken rum bottle. He looked from the broken bottle to the man on the ground, as if confused about what had transpired, and why he was suddenly out of rum.

The doors to the shop finally broke open and the regiment of soldiers poured in, led by Commodore McKinnon. Lily brushed some of the dust off her face, embarrassed by her appearance. She stepped forward to speak but Commodore McKinnon hadn’t even looked at her.

“Excellent work, Mr. Brown,” said the Commodore, “you’ve assisted in the arrest of a dangerous criminal.”

“Jus’ doin’ my civic duty, sir,” Mr. Brown slurred.

Lily’s shoulders fell.

“I suppose you will remember this as the day Sirius Black _almost_ got away,” Commodore McKinnon said with no lack of self-satisfaction. “Get him out of here.”

Lily stood by quietly as McKinnon’s men dragged Sirius Black’s unconscious body out of the shop. Mr. Brown took one look around the shop and swore.

“You’d better clean this up,” he grumbled as he lumbered out through the back door. Lily was too furious to speak. If she tried to speak she would scream. So she kept her mouth clamped shut for the rest of the evening. Night was falling as Lily tossed out the last bits of the splintered door. It was unsettlingly quiet out and an unnatural fog had descended upon the streets. The hot day had turned into a very chilly night and Lily hugged her shawl more tightly around herself. Something sinister was on the wind this night.

 

“There you are, my love.”

James shifted as Euphemia tucked his blankets around him. It had been such a hot day, but now he felt as though he would start seeing his breath at any moment.

“You’ve had a difficult day,” his mother kissed his forehead and sat on the edge of his bed.

“Yes, well,” James settled in against his pillows, looking at the pages of his book but not really reading them. “I suspect I’ll hear Marlene’s answer to my proposal tomorrow, although I’m not entirely prepared for it.”

“I meant being threatened by that pirate,” Euphemia shuddered and held her handkerchief to her face. James sat up, afraid she might cry again.

“It wasn’t so scary, Mama,” he took her hand and gave her a smile. “I’m not hurt.”

Euphemia gave him a watery smile and nodded. Then she blinked and frowned at him.

“You proposed to Marlene McKinnon?”

James nodded uncertainly, “Yes…Didn’t Father tell you?”

“He mentioned it, but I didn’t think he would be able to convince you!” Euphemia looked as though she couldn’t decide whether to be happy or not. “It’s…a smart match.”

“You sound disappointed,” said James. “I thought you’d be pleased.”

“All a mother wants is for her child to be happy,” she touched his cheek.

“I mean…I like Marlene. She’s a fine woman. Any man would be lucky to have her,” James said pragmatically.

Euphemia nodded and stood, fussing with her handkerchief. At the door she paused and turned to him.

“Lily...Now, she’s a fine woman, too,” she said quietly then slipped out and shut the door behind her. Finally alone, James sighed and let his head fall back, touching the medallion as it rested over his heart. He was torn. One couldn’t exactly un-propose to someone. Beside him, he saw his lamp flicker. He watched as the flame sputtered, dimmed, then died.

James hadn’t been asleep for more than a quarter hour before something had him flying out of bed. There was a terrible sound coming from below and, in the haze of sleep, he couldn’t place it. He went to the veranda and looked out to see the town below ablaze. The mist had cleared and James could see now a ship in the harbor, firing cannons upon the fort. People were screaming and fires were bursting from the ground like flowers. Through the trees below, James spotted torches and men he didn’t recognize coming up the road to the house. Seconds later there was a banging on the door. James flew out of his room to the stairs just in time to see the butler opening the door.

“No, don’t!” he shouted, seconds too late. There was the flash of a pistol and the butler fell down dead. James let out a scream of dismay and quickly covered his mouth. Again, too late. The pirates spotted him and they swarmed into the house. James sprinted back up the stairs.

“Jaipal!” James yelped as he ran into the arms of his mother. He felt weak with relief.

“Amma!” he grabbed her and guided her backwards. “They haven’t seen you yet! Hide, now. When the coast is clear, run to the fort! Go! I’ll lead them away!” He shouted at her over her sobbing protests. He looked meaningfully at the maid, who gave him a frightened nod and led Eshnaa away to hide.

Pursued by pounding footsteps and vulgar shouts, James ran through the manor and barricaded himself in his father’s study. He prayed to the powers that be that his father was safe with Commodore McKinnon and hadn’t been on the road when the siege began. After securing the door with a candlestick, he crossed the room and tried to pull free one of the swords on the decorative coat of arms above the fireplace. Only, there was a reason it was called a decoration. The entire bloody thing came off the wall and no matter how hard he tried, the sword wouldn’t pull free. He frantically looked for a place to hide, and managed to cram himself into a small closet before the door was kicked open.

Through the smallest crack in the door, James watched two men creep into the room.

“Come out, poppet,” the taller man crooned as he gazed about the study. His pale skin and white-blonde hair seemed to glow in the dark “We know you’re in here.”

“Yeah,” a shorter young man with a face not unlike a rat’s followed in his wake.

“You have something we need,” the taller man swept through the room. “It calls to us, you see. The gold calls to us.”

James looked down, clutching the medallion in his shaking hand. The light from the crack in the door vanished as a shadow fell across it. James looked up quickly and saw a steely grey eye peering at him.

“Hello, poppet,” the man purred.

The door flung open and they had their swords at James’ throat.

“Parley!” James cried before they could run him through.

The man with the pale face stopped, narrowing his eyes, “What?”

“Parley,” James panted, not even knowing where the outburst had come from. “I-I invoke the right of parley.”

The two pirates seemed too stunned to speak for a moment so James babbled on.

“According to the Code of the Brethren set down by the pirates Godric and Salazar, you must take me to your captain,” he said, trying to keep the smugness out of his voice.

“I know the Code!” the pale one hissed, jabbing his sword towards James.

“Watch it,” James brushed the sword away with the back of his hand. “If an adversary invokes the right of parley you can do them no harm until the parley is complete.”

“You know about the Code?” the rat-faced one growled and pointed his sword at James’ heart.

“He wants to be taken to the captain,” the pale man snapped irritably. Then an arrogant sort of calm fell over his face as he regarded James. “And he’ll go without a fuss. We _must_ …uphold the Code.”

James was manhandled from his house to the village square. Apparently, all they wanted was him, because the rest of the pirates fled the manor and poured back into the streets. He didn’t struggle. He had, after all, promised not to make a fuss. That is until he saw Lily. She was fighting in the streets, her hair like a brilliant corona. Her dress was torn but she looked like she had been fighting for some time and hadn’t a scratch on her. He pulled against his captors, wanting to go to her.

“Keep quiet!” the rat-faced man snarled at him and gave him a shake.

Lily saw him then, her face pale as she stood stock still in the street.

“James!” she cried and tried to follow.

“Lily!” he called back. He was forced to keep walking and he could only watch as she struggled to get to him, only to be stopped by a large pirate who tossed her aside like a ragdoll. He was too far away now to see if she got up. He prayed she did. Her face was all he could think about the entire miserable way to the ship. As the longboat neared the ship, he went cold with the sudden realization he’d seen it before. The ship with black sails.

Minutes later he was unceremoniously thrown onto the deck. A tall man with a thin face and greasy black hair looked down his nose at James.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“This whelp invoked the right of parley,” the pale man gave him a jab with the hilt of his sword.

“I want to speak to the cap—”

The greasy man struck James across the mouth, hard, “You will speak when spoken to!”

James held his throbbing face, it beginning to dawn on him that this wasn’t a game or a dream. This was real and he could very well be about to die. He wished he’d worn better nightclothes.

“Those under the protection of parley are not to be harmed,” a voice as smooth and slippery as silk came from the shadows of the ship. A pirate dressed in all black, save for the blood red feather in his wide hat, slowly stepped into light of the torches. “Captain Thomas Riddle, at your service.” He gave James a smooth bow.

This man unsettled James to his very core. There was nothing… _wrong_ with him per se. Maybe he was a bit too pale, his hair a bit too well kept, his eyes a bit too calculating. But he knew at once, this was not a man to be trusted. But James had no choice at the moment. He’d come to negotiate.

“Captain Riddle,” James said evenly. “I am here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal.”

Riddle raised an eyebrow and cast a look around at the crew. Everyone wore a vague look of confusion.

“Big words for such a…little boy,” Riddle smirked. “We’re naught but humble pirates so in simpler terms, if you please.”

James had a funny feeling Riddle knew exactly what he had said. He lifted his chin in the air. “I want you to leave and never come back.”

There was a roar of laughter from the pirates around him and Riddle’s snake-like smile widened.

“Oh, I’m sure you do,” he said, flicking a bit of lint from his jacket. “But I’m afraid I’m disinclined to acquiesce to your request.”

It was James’ turn to look confused.

Riddle leaned forward and gave him a belittling grin, “That means ‘no.’”

James flushed and gave him a deep scowl.

“Very well,” he reached around his neck and pulled off the medallion. He crossed quickly to the railing of the ship and held it out over the water. There was a sharp hiss as the  
crew took in a breath. Riddle’s smile wavered for only a moment then he gave a loud bark of laughter.

“We’ve just sacked your city for all it’s worth,” he held out his hands and looked at the chests overflowing with valuables. “What would I need with such a trinket?”

“It’s…it’s what you want, isn’t it?” James faltered, suddenly uncertain. “It’s what you’ve been searching for. I recognize this ship! I saw it ten years ago on the crossing from England!”

Riddle’s eyebrows raised slowly and he took a step forward, “Did you now?”

Something in the way he asked gave James a sick feeling. As if in seeing the ship through the mist that day, he had in turn, been seen.

“If it really means so little to you,” James said hoarsely. “Then I suppose I no longer have need of it.”

He opened his hand just a little and let the medallion drop a few inches towards the perilous water below. The entire crew surged forward as one, eyes transfixed on the medallion. Even Captain Riddle’s composure had dropped and his hand was extended forward as if making to catch it. James gave his cockiest smile, inclining his head to Riddle, waiting for his move.

The captain seethed for a moment, a white knuckled hand gripping the hilt of his sword. He approached James with restrained steps. James snatched back the medallion and held it tightly in his hand.

“Do you have a name, boy?” Captain Riddle asked coldly.

“I’m James…Evans,” he prayed no one noticed the slight pause. “I’m a servant in the governor’s household.”

Riddle’s cold face changed into something that could only be described as ravenous fascination. A frightening smile spread across his face and he turned to the crew.

“Mr. _Evans,_ ” he said to them. There was an inexplicable murmur from the crowd and the rat-faced man gave a shrill laugh.

“Bootstrap!” he giggled. The pale man was watching James with that same hungry look Riddle had given him.

“And how did a servant come to own something like that?” Riddle turned back to James and looked him over. “Family heirloom?”

“I didn’t steal it, if that’s what you mean,” James retorted.

“Very well,” that answer seemed to satisfy Riddle. “Hand it over and we’ll put this rotten business to rest.” He held out a hand, his eyes locked on James.

Parting with it felt somewhat like breaking a promise. He had always intended to give it back to Lily. But the sound of screams and cannon-fire were overwhelming and he handed the medallion to Riddle without hesitation. Riddle smiled and put it in the breast pocket of his coat. Then he turned on his heel and began to walk away.

“Our bargain?” James took a step after him, the pale man putting a hand on his chest to keep him from following him further.

Riddle didn’t so much as turn, merely lifted a hand to the greasy man on his right.

“Still the guns and stow ‘em!” the man barked at the rest of the crew. “Raise the flags and make good to clear port!”

The pale man released him and ran off to complete some task. James had read enough books to know they were going to be leaving the Port Royal harbor this very moment.

“Wait!” James cried and followed Riddle to the stairs. “You have to take me to shore! According to the Code of the Order of the Brethren you must—”

Riddle whirled on James, stopping him in his tracks, “Firstly, your return to shore was not a part of our negotiations nor part of our agreement, so I _‘must’_ do nothing.”

“But—”

“And secondly,” Riddle interrupted, “you have to be pirate for the Pirates’ Code to apply and you, Mr. Evans, are not. And _thirdly_ the Code are more of what you’d call guidelines than actual rules.” 

James cast one last frantic look out at the burning city as they began their retreat, feeling like his whole world was caving in. He clenched his fists and looked up at Riddle, the backs of his eyes burning in frustration.

Riddle gave him another snake-like smile and tipped his hat.

“Welcome aboard the _Black Pearl,_ Mr. Evans. Enjoy your stay.”


	2. A Pirate And A Blacksmith Walk Into A Bar

Lily awoke to find herself lying in the street, covered in dirt. The sun was high and hot, nearly noon. _That can’t be good for the brain_ , Lily thought as she heaved herself up from the ground. Her splitting headache wasn’t the only souvenir from the past night. Many of the shops and homes around her were destroyed. The streets were red with blood and black with soot. What ships remained in the harbor were still smoking, but the _H.M.S Dauntless_ and the _H.M.s Interceptor_ still stood proudly off the quay.

And all at once James’ frightened face came back to her and she had to lay a hand on the wall beside her to keep her balance. The instant before she’d been throttled, she saw him being dragged down towards the docks. He was…gone. Lily’s feet moved on their own. She was walking, marching, _running_ to the fort. Scores of refugees were huddled in the center courtyard, crying and holding their loved ones. Lily slowed her pace and stopped a few times to check on her friends, to hold their hands, to grieve.

“Lily!”

Lily spun at Marlene’s voice, relief flooding over her.

“Mar, I’m so glad to see you,” she let Marlene draw her into a tight embrace. Marlene was a good bit taller than Lily, so her head rested comfortably in the crook of her neck. She wished she could hide there all day.

“Gosh, me too,” Marlene pulled away and held Lily’s face in her hands. “You look terrible.”

“I’ve been better,” said Lily. “You look like you’ve been busy.”

Marlene had her hair bound up in a scarf and she was sporting an apron and nursing sleeves, both of which were bloodied. The Commodore would have an affliction if he saw his only daughter in the middle of such circumstances.

“Our neighbors need help,” Marlene said, reading Lily’s mind. “Besides, Father is all of a dither trying to get James back, he’s hardly the time to care about what I’m doing, you know.”

“Naturally,” Lily replied. “Where is he by the way? I need to speak to him.”

“Oh, Lily that’s not a good idea,” Marlene winced. “You know he’s not fond of you and you’re in a bit of a state, love.”

“I want to help find James,” Lily insisted. “He’s out there somewhere and I won’t stay here weeping and putting flowers on my hope chest.”

“You have a hope chest?” Marlene asked curiously. 

“Don’t change the subject,” Lily put her hands on her hips and planted her feet. “I’m going to find him anyway, so will you please just point me in the right direction?”

Marlene chewed on the inside of her cheek. In a battle of wills, it was usually a toss up between the two women. Lily won about as often as Marlene did, however winning usually came after a great deal of kicking and screaming. This time Marlene relented before things got ugly.

“His office was destroyed so they’re in the east courtyard,” she sighed and waved a hand in that direction.

“You’re a brick, Mar,” Lily beamed and marched off to find Commodore McKinnon.

He was exactly where Marlene said he would be. He was sitting at a desk in the shade of a stone archway, poring over a map. He was surrounded by his officers and Governor Potter was pacing anxiously a few feet away, however no one seemed to notice her approach.

“Commodore McKinnon,” she marched over without being introduced or welcomed over. “They’ve taken James!”

“Mr. Podmore, please escort Miss Evans out,” the Commodore didn’t even glance up from his map. Mr. Podmore put a hand on Lily’s arm and tried, kindly, to remove her.

“We have to hunt them down! We have to save him!” she shook Mr. Podmore off, planting her feet firmly. She realized how hysterical she must look; torn dress, covered in dirt, a sword gripped in her hand. She was surprised Marlene hadn’t insisted she tidy herself up. Then again Marlene loved a good drama.

“And where do you propose we start?” Governor Potter snapped, staring daggers at her. “If you have any information concerning my son, please share it.”

They regarded each other with hostility. Then Governor Potter gave a terse snort, as if to say ‘that’s what I thought’ and turned away from her.

“That…Sirius Black fellow,” Mr. Podmore spoke for the first time. “When we was taking him to the cells, he was going on and on about the…the _Black Pearl._ That ship in the harbor.”

“We could ask him!” Lily said, looking eagerly at Commodore McKinnon. “Make him tell us where it is.”

“No, Miss Evans. The pirates that invaded this fort left Black locked in his cell, ergo they are not his allies,” Commodore McKinnon said wearily. He turned to Governor Potter pointedly, trying again to dismiss her. “Governor, we will start charting their most likely course.”

In a fit of rage, Lily thrust her sword through the map on the table, driving it deep into the wood.

“That’s not good enough!” she shouted. The guards moved as if to restrain her but McKinnon held up his hand. He removed the sword from the table and handed it to one of his guards.

“Miss Evans, you are not a military man, nor are you a sailor. You’re the blacksmith’s errand girl, and nothing more,” McKinnon took Lily sternly by the arm and bodily led her away from the gathering. “Do not presume you’re the only one who cares about James’ safety. Now be on your way.”

He gave her a deft shove towards the entrance of the fort. Wounded, more by his words than his indelicate handling of her, Lily tucked tail and left the fort. But what Mr. Podmore said still hadn’t left her and she made a sharp turn, marching herself down to the jails. With so many wounded to take care of and fires to put out, Lily was unsurprised to find the jail cells unguarded. She found Black lying on the floor of his cell singing obnoxiously.

“Hey!” she banged on the bars. He held up a finger, not even opening his eyes. He finished his song, ending in a flourish, before bothering to look up at her.

“Oh, it’s _you,_ ” he drawled. “Handing me my ass wasn’t enough for you, love?”

“I’m not your love,” Lily scowled. “Are you familiar with that ship the _Black Pearl?_ ”

“I’ve heard of it,” Black waved a hand. “What’s it to you?”

“Where does it make berth?”

“ _’Where does it make berth?’_ ” Black sat up to squint at her. “Haven’t you heard the stories?” He lay his head back on the ground and heaved a sigh. “ _Captain_ Riddle and his band of miscreants sail from the dreaded _Isla de Muerta._ An island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is.”

From his tone, Lily gathered he had no love for the crew of the Pearl but she didn’t have time to ask those kinds of questions. Every second spent indulging Black’s stories was another second James sailed farther and farther away.

“That’s nonsense,” she said dismissively. “But the ship’s real enough. Therefore it has to make berth somewhere _real._ Where?”

“Why ask me?” Black examined his nails. His disinterest made Lily furious.

“Because you’re a pirate,” she said with restraint.

“And you want to turn pirate yourself? Good on you,” Black chuckled.

Lily banged hard on the door with her fist and, with some satisfaction, saw him jump.

“Never.”

Black sat up and looked at her evenly, waiting for an answer. Lily put her hands on her hips and turned in a circle, feeling like she was going to crawl out of her skin with the anxiety of it all.

“They took James. _Mr. Potter,_ ” she said finally, in a more wounded voice than she’d intended. Black’s face brightened and he finally stood up.

“Ah, so we’re going to be heroes, then?” he leaned against the bars, a dazzling smile on his face. “Braving all to hasten to the rescue of a dashing lad in the most unfortunate of circumstances. All right, I’m in. Let’s see the keys.”

“The keys?” Lily hadn’t been anticipating his keen interest.

“For the cell,” Black gestured to the bars. When she didn’t immediately produce them, his face fell. “You don’t have the keys?”

“I don’t _need_ the keys,” Lily said tartly. She cast a look around the cell, her mind whirring. “I helped make these bars, though Mr. Brown would never admit it.” She hoisted up the wooden bench behind her and wedged two of its legs into the spaces between the grates.

“All we need is a little leverage,” she pushed down hard on her end of the bench and the door of the cell fell off with a loud clang. “Someone will have heard that.”

“Beautifully done,” Black said, following her out of the cell block. “Any idea where they put my gun?”

There was a small delay as Black insisted they track down his effects, but eventually they managed to clear the fort by way of scrambling through the forest to the beach.

“So do you have a name?” Black asked as they skirted the edge of the forest towards the harbor.

“Lily Evans,” she said, crouching behind a rock before they got close enough to be seen.

“Evans?” Black sounded startled, giving her a quizzical look.

“Yes, what about it?” she frowned. He gaped at her like a trout for a moment then gave a toss of his head.

“Nothing,” he said and she watched his eyes rove over the ships in the harbor.

“All right then,” Lily let the moment pass, although she made note of it in the back of her mind. She had other things to think about. “So, we’re going to steal a ship?”

She eyed the _Dauntless_ warily. While it was sitting unguarded at the edge of the bay, it was some distance away and they’d be spotted rowing a longboat to get to it. The _H.M.S Interceptor,_ Commodore McKinnon’s own ship, was docked much closer, and while the Commodore was nowhere to be seen, the gangplank was busy with naval officers loading cargo for the voyage.

“Commandeer,” Black said cryptically. “It’s a nautical term, Miss Evans. We’re going to commandeer _that_ ship,” he pointing at the _H.M.S Interceptor,_ “by first commandeering _that_ ship.” He pointed to the _Dauntless._

Lily swallowed dryly and Black saw her hesitation.

“Miss Evans,” he said, rolling up his sleeves. “How far are you willing to go for your bonny lad?”

“I would die for him,” the words spilled out of her before she could temper them down to something a bit less dramatic. However, they were the truth.

“Oh!” Black looked happily surprised. “Good! No worries, then.”

He took off down the sand towards some beached longboats, Lily reluctantly at his heels. It took some doing, and a number of minutes trapped under a boat with a strange man, but Lily found herself walking underwater with the longboat above their heads. The boat acted as a sort of seal, providing air to breathe as they took a stroll under the harbor.

“This is either madness or brilliance,” she said, still somewhat nervous water would start pouring in from some unseen leak.

“You’d be surprised at how often the two coincide,” Black looked over his shoulder and grinned. Lily scowled, still determined not to like him. When they reached the _Dauntless,_ all they had to do was swim to the surface. Climbing the mooring line was the most difficult part. While Lily’s skirt lacked the numerous petticoats of the day’s fashion, it was still long enough, and now wet enough, to tangle around her legs and nearly send her crashing back into the water. When she was finally able to join Black on the deck, he shoved his sword into her hands and held his pistol ready. The crew of the _Dauntless_ was gathered on the lower deck, awaiting the departure of the _Interceptor._

“All right, everyone!” Black strutted down the stairs, holding his pistol out to them. “We’re going to need to borrow your boat.”

“Ship. It’s a ship,” Lily said, unable to help herself. Black gave her a look over his shoulder.

“Two people can’t crew this ship,” the captain laughed at them. “Especially when one’s a _girl._ You’ll never make it out of the bay.”

“Listen, mate,” Black held his pistol right up to the captain’s nose. “I’m Sirius fucking Black. Savvy?”

Needless to say, the crew very quickly fled the ship.

“Not like that, you’ve gotta give it more of a…” Black was standing beside Lily trying to show her how to set the mainsail. Not only was it impossible, he was throwing his arms around like a maniac and doing very little to help.

“Well _you_ do it, then!” Lily shouted and threw the rope to the ground. Black looked down at the rope then back up at her.

“That was good,” he smiled then pointed over her shoulder. “Here they come.”

She looked behind her and saw the _Interceptor_ turning her sails towards them. The crew of the _Dauntless_ had gotten their attention and in minutes the _Interceptor_ would be upon them. She put a hand on her sword and took a breath.

“Ready?” Black asked.

Not ready at all, Lily gave him a nod. They lay in wait at the top deck as the _Interceptor_ pulled up beside them. The entire crew swung over and boarded, and a plank was set up for Commodore McKinnon. He strode across barking orders to the crew.

“I want them found! Search every hold and every cabin!” he shouted.

Black gave Lily’s arm a squeeze and they ran to the rail of the ship. Black grabbed a rope and swung fearlessly over to the _Interceptor._ Lily looked down at the water below and for a moment she was ten years old again, half drowning as her ship was set aflame around her.

“Lily!”

Black’s voice pulled her back to the present. She shook her head and jumped. She landed gracelessly on the deck of the _Interceptor_ and they both set to work. They only had seconds before someone noticed something was amiss. Black went to the helm to set them on their way and Lily used her sword to cut the boarding lines. She saw Commodore McKinnon spin around as he heard the boarding plank crash into the water.

“Back to the _Interceptor!_ ” he bellowed. One or two men tried to swing over, and missed the ship by a mile, dropping like stones into the water.

“Commodore!” Black lifted his hat and waved. “Thank you for getting us ready to make way! We would’ve had a hard time of it by ourselves!”

Lily laughed then had to quickly duck as the officers fired their guns at them. The topsails of the _Dauntless_ unfurled and the ship began to come about.

“Are they coming after us?” Lily ran to Black’s side. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but whether it was from fear or excitement, she couldn’t say.

“No,” Black shook his head, showing no signs of concern. “However they _are_ going to try to sink us.”

“ _What?_ ” Lily shrieked. She flew to the rail and saw the long-nines being prepared to fire “They’re going to fire on their own ship?”

“I have a feeling that Commodore McKinnon would rather see her at the bottom of the ocean than in the hands of a pirate,” Black chuckled. He looked at her and furrowed his brow. “You look concerned.”

Lily sputtered wordlessly, utterly exasperated by his unconcern. He tipped his head towards the _Dauntless_ and Lily watched as it came about face. Then it kept going. And going. Until it was turned all the way around back towards the harbor.

“What did you do?” she let out a small laugh of relief.

“Disabled the rudder chain,” said Black. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the wind stirring his long black hair. With a pang, she realized she’d seen James do something exactly like that. She prayed that wherever he was, he was safe.

“You should find some trousers,” Black said after a lengthy silence. “That skirt’s going to be more trouble than it’s worth.”

Lily nodded and made her way below deck. It had been years since she’d been on a ship. Going down into the cabins wasn’t at all a pleasant experience. She remembered the day they were set upon by the pirates. She’d been practicing her embroidery with her mother when the first cannon ripped a hole in the hull. It was all chaos after that. She never saw the pirates or the ship and she never saw her mother again. In the captain’s cabin, Lily had to stop and close her eyes for fear of fainting. She quickly found a pair of trousers, changed, and went back to the deck as fast as she possibly could.

They sailed hours in silence. Lily taking this time to sharpen her sword, focusing her thoughts on the metal in her hands so she didn’t have to think about anything else.

“So what’s your story?” Black’s voice called from above. “How’d you end up rubbing elbows with the governor’s son?”

“I’m not sure that’s any of your business, Mr. Black,” Lily replied coolly.

Black made a retching sound, “Please, Mr. Black was my father. Call me Sirius.”

“No, thank you.”

“Captain Sirius?”

“Worse.”

“Captain Black, then.”

“I’ll think about it.”

There was a heavy silence and Lily glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye. He was staring at her, looking quite beside himself. She gave him a smirk and went back to sharpening her sword.

“Oh, all right, she makes jokes,” said Sirius crisply. “Very funny.”

“I thought so,” she let herself laugh. She wasn’t sure she could trust this pirate yet, but he was so easy to tease, she couldn’t help herself. She put down her sword and climbed the stairs up to the helm. “So, Sirius. How did you come to know my father?”

Sirius paused.

“Well, that was sudden,” he said. “How do you reckon I knew him at all?”

“Back at the beach, you gave me a funny look when you learned my name. Almost like you knew it,” Lily crossed her arms. “My father was a traveling merchant, never saw much of him. He was always at sea. And I would have known you if you knew my mother. So?”

“I knew him,” Sirius admitted, at least having the wits to know when he was backed into a corner. “I was probably the only one who knew him as William Evans. Everyone else called him ‘Bootstrap’ or ‘Bootstrap Bill.’ He was a good man. Hell of a pirate. You look just like him, you know.”

“That’s not true!”

“It is, you have the same eyes,” Sirius insisted.

“Not that, idiot!” Lily snapped. “My father was a merchant, not a ruddy pirate! He was a good man who obeyed the law!”

“I don’t know how to tell you this, but he _was_ a pirate. A scallywag, if you will,” Sirius seemed to be taking too much pleasure in this and Lily’s temper got the best of her. She drew her sword and pointed it at him.

“My father _was not_ a pirate!”

Sirius looked down the end of her sword then back up at her, “You really want me to beat you again?”

Lily’s cheeks burned with anger, “You didn’t beat me! You ignored the rules of engagement! In a fair fight I’d kill you!”

“That’s probably true. But it doesn’t give me much incentive to fight fair, then, does it?” Sirius sighed and spun the helm hard to port. Lily gave a small shriek as the long arm of the main sail swung into her, catching her around the middle. She dropped her sword onto the deck and clung to the sail arm for dear life, her legs swinging above the churning water below.

“Sirius!”

“And we were _so_ getting along,” Sirius looked genuinely disappointed as he walked over to the rail. “While you’re just hanging out, I want you to listen because I’m going to say this once. Out at sea the rules don’t matter. All that matters is what one _can do_ and what one _can’t_ do.

“For example, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man, or you can’t. Pirating is in your blood, Miss Evans, and you’re going to have to square with that someday. And me, I _can_ let you drown. But I _can’t_ bring this ruddy ship into Tortuga all by myself.” Sirius spun the helm back to starboard and Lily swung back onto the deck, tumbling head over tail and landing on her back.

“So, can you sail under the command of a pirate?” Sirius picked up her sword and held it out to her, hilt first. “Or can you not?”

Lily looked up at him. She couldn’t even bring herself to scowl, because he was right. She took the sword.

“Tortuga?” She asked skeptically, standing up and sheathing the sword.

“Tortuga,” Sirius grinned.

 

They reached the port of Tortuga some hours after dark. Lily very quickly discovered that working the forge and working a ship were two different beasts entirely. By the time they made berth, every muscle in her body was shaking from exhaustion. It was a miracle they made it to the docks at all. The port was hidden away in a rocky cliffside with only a narrow strip of water leading into the bay.

“What a lovely night,” Sirius said as they walked through the riotous streets.

“I have to disagree,” Lily winced as someone nearly trampled her. Everyone in sight seemed to be either drunk or fighting or both. And every building seemed to be some kind of bar or brothel or both. The entire place was rife with ever manner of debauchery.

“Well there’s no accounting for taste,” Sirius picked up a flask and opened it, much to Lily’s horror.

“You don’t know where that’s been!” she grabbed it and threw it hard across the square. “And you’re going to be _sober_ while we look for James.”

Sirius stared after the flask then gave her a look she could only describe as a pout.

“Fine,” he said, pulling the brim of his hat lower. “Have it your way, Miss Evans.”

They were meandering towards the Hog’s Head pub when a young woman approached them.

“Scarlett!” Sirius greeted her with a grin.

The woman said nothing and slapped him smartly across the face. Lily raised an eyebrow as she walked away.

“Not sure I deserved that,” Sirius rubbed his jaw.

Lily was sure that wasn’t true. They hadn’t even taken another step when a young man walked over, hands on his hips.

“Florian,” Sirius plastered another charming grin on his face. “How are you?”

“Who was she?” said the young man, nodding his head to where Scarlett had gone.

“Er…”

Before Sirius could come up with an answer, Florian delivered a slap as well. He gave Lily a shrewd look then turned on his heel and stalked off.

“I probably deserved that,” Sirius grumbled. “Stop laughing.”

Lily smothered her laughter, wiping the tears from her eyes, “I might actually like this place.”

“ _I might actually like this place,_ ” Sirius said in a mocking voice. “Come on.”

He walked briskly through the doors of the pub and looked around broodingly. Then his demeanor changed so drastically, Lily found herself speechless. His face had softened so that he looked exactly what he was; a young handsome boy, cheeky, but handsome. She found herself staring at him, wanting to bottle that look so she could take it apart later and see how it worked.

“Remus!” he shouted above the din of the pub. Lily tore her eyes away from him and followed his gaze. A dark young man behind the bar looked up from where he was cleaning glasses. When he spotted them, he shook his head and pointed towards the door.

“Get out,” he mouthed. Sirius barked a laugh and pushed through the crowd over to the bar. Remus strode out from behind the counter, and Lily thought briefly about intervening before Sirius was slapped again, but there was no need. Instead of a slap, Remus threw his arms around Sirius and embraced him like a brother. This was highly interesting.

“Where the seven hells have you been?” Remus sounded as if he was trying to be cross, but it didn’t come off that way at all.

“Here and there,” Sirius grinned pulling away.

Remus held Sirius out by the shoulders and he seemed to be looking him over. He took Sirius by the chin and eyed the red welt on his cheek.

“You must not have been here long if that’s all you’ve got,” was all he had to say about it. “You made a friend?” He asked, looking at Lily.

Sirius seemed to have forgotten she was there, “Oh yes! This is Lily. Evans.”

Lily didn’t know enough about Remus yet to know if he was shocked, but he did take a slight pause before he held out his hand to shake. She made an addendum to her previous thought; she and Remus might be tied for Cleanest Person on the Island. He had warm brown skin and soft brown curls that flashed with gold in the light. Where Sirius was handsome in an aloof, dangerous sort of way, Remus was handsome in an inviting, bookish sort of way and she trusted him immediately.

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Evans,” he said. “I’m Remus Lupin.”

“Likewise, Mr. Lupin,” Lily shook his hand. “I’m pleased to see that there’s at least one decent person in this place.”

“Hey,” Sirius protested but Remus laughed.

“I like her,” Remus said. “Can I get you a drink?”

Lily demurred but Sirius was quick to accept.

“I also have a proposition for you, Moony. If you’ll hear it,” Sirius said as they found a table away from the rowdiest customers.

“Do I ever have a choice?” Remus said fondly and sat across from Sirius. When they were settled, Sirius sipping his drink, and Lily nursing a tea that Remus had blessedly managed to procure from thin air, Remus asked the question Sirius so obviously wanted him to ask. “So, what’s this adventure you want to rope me into?”

Sirius took a long pause, swirling the drink in his hand, and Lily wished that sometimes he would just speak without having to make a great show of it.

“I’m going after the _Black Pearl,_ ” he said finally. Remus blinked. Then he stood up to go.

“All right, Pads, it was nice to see you but—”

“Oh, sit down!” Sirius grabbed Remus by the shirt and pulled him back into his seat. It was enchanting, watching them interact. Remus seemed to still the wild thing inside Sirius that made him so insufferable. She doubted that he was any sort of pirate. He seemed too good of a man to be running with a crowd like that. He also seemed too good of a man to be putting up with Sirius the way he was, but then again here they were. She sipped her tea.

“Listen,” Sirius said, setting aside his drink. “I swear, I know where it is and this time I’m going to take it.”

“Sirius, you know it’s a fool’s errand,” Remus ran his fingers through his downy curls.

“I know what Riddle is up to now,” Sirius went on as if Remus hadn’t spoken. “All I need is a crew.”

“Riddle isn’t one to suffer fools or make bargains with one,” Remus replied dryly.

“Then it’s a good thing I’m not a fool!” Sirius raised his voice, and a few men looked over. Lily set down her tea.

“Mr. Lupin,” she said evenly.

“Remus, please,” he corrected gently.

“Remus,” she said. “A dear friend of mine was taken by the crew of the _Black Pearl._ I intend to get him back. If you can help at all…”

This seemed to sway Remus and he looked dubiously at Sirius, “It’s just about the ship, is it?”

Sirius looked away, flustered, “Perhaps not _just_ about the ship.”

“Hmph. Well what makes you think Riddle is going to give you the _Pearl_ as well as a hostage?” Remus asked, leaning back in his chair.

“Now that’s just a matter of leverage,” Sirius picked up his drink, giving Remus a meaningful look. Remus didn’t exactly look at Lily, but she saw his eyes flicker towards her for just a moment.

“Well,” Remus picked at a splinter of wood coming off of the table. “Perhaps there really is a change in the wind.”

“Are we just reading each other’s minds now, eh?” Lily said sourly. “If you’ve got something on this Riddle fellow, I’d like to know about it. Especially since it seems to concern me.”

“Don’t worry about it just now,” Sirius picked up his drink and threw it back in one. “Moony, why don’t you bring the lass upstairs for a rest while we look for a crew?”

“Of course,” Remus nodded and stood. “This way, Miss Evans.”

“Right,” Lily threw a scowl in Sirius’ direction and allowed Remus to lead her away. “How do you manage it?”

“Manage what?” he asked, opening a door behind the bar and letting her through.

“Captain Sirius Black,” she mimicked Sirius’ swaggering walk and was pleased when Remus laughed. He lit a lantern on the wall and led her up a narrow wooden staircase.

“He’s not so bad,” he said. “Just takes some getting used to.”

“But you’re such a good man and he’s a _pirate,_ ” said Lily. She nearly ran into Remus’ back as he stopped suddenly.

“Forgive me, Miss Evans, but Sirius is a good man,” she could hear the sharp edge to his voice. It surprised her, coming from such a good-natured fellow. “And I _am_ a pirate.”

She heard the sound of a door unlocking and found herself feeling quite ashamed.

“I…I didn’t mean…”

“I know what you meant,” Remus didn’t sound angry as he allowed her into his living quarters. “And I know you must have led a privileged life to come to the conclusions you have. Sirius can be…well, you know. But when my back is up against the wall, he’s the only one I want on my side. The only one.”

Lily looked up at him, extremely humbled, “Forgive me. I was unkind.”

Remus gave her a slight smile and a nod. He set the lantern down and gestured towards a cot against the wall.

“Please, make yourself at home,” he said. “No one will disturb you.”

“Thank you,” she said gratefully and sat down on the edge of the bed. Remus bid her goodnight and disappeared back down the staircase. Exhaustion overcame her and she hardly had the energy to remove her boots before falling into a deep sleep.

 

The moon was high and full as the _Black Pearl_ cut through the water. The _H.M.S Interceptor_ was the fastest ship in the royal fleet but James reckoned it would be far outpaced by the _Pearl._ He’d been shut up in the captain’s cabin since they left Port Royal. After some investigating, he found that the door wasn’t locked but he deferred from going out onto the deck. He made himself content with looking out the window.

He started when the doors banged open and the two men from before, he’d learned their names were Lucius Malfoy and Peter Pettigrew, walked in. Malfoy, the pale man with the white hair, held out a bundle of clothes to him.

“You’ll be dining with the captain,” he said, his nose in the air as if this entire ordeal was beneath him. “He wants you to change.”

James looked down at himself, still in his nightclothes and dressing gown. “Sorry, is this not appropriate dining attire?”

Malfoy scowled.

“Change, now,” he shoved the clothes towards him.

“Make me.”

“Whelp.”

“Cur.”

Malfoy dropped the clothes on the ground and reached for his sword. Pettigrew squeaked and dropped to the floor to gather the clothes.

“N-now, the captain said not to hurt him, Lucius,” Pettigrew looked frantically between James and Malfoy. James felt a little bad for Peter. He didn’t seem to want to _be_ a pirate very much, however, James had little love for cowards. He snatched the clothes out of Pettigrew’s hands.

“I should like some privacy,” he said, shrugging off his dressing gown.

Malfoy sniffed and he and Pettigrew left the cabin. The clothes were ill fitting, too loose by James’ standards, but they weren’t terrible looking. He thought he looked rather dashing in the maroon shirt and black trousers. He was also grateful that they didn’t smell. 

He was given time enough to dress, then the room was busy with people. A greasy man, who he learned was called Severus Snape, busied himself with setting the table, not bothering to give James a second glance. Malfoy and Pettigrew brought in the food and wine, and it was only then that James realized how truly famished he was. He hadn’t eaten since dinner the previous night. He hadn’t exactly _asked_ for food but it would have been nice if they had offered.

“Sit,” Snape said, pulling out a seat with a noisy scrape. James moved from his spot in the corner of the room and sat. “Good boy.” Snape gave him a malicious smile and started to walk away.

James hooked his foot around Snape’s ankle, knocking him to the floor just as Riddle walked in. Riddle looked coldly down at Snape and scowled.

“Oaf,” he walked past him and took a seat at the table. Snape was shaking with anger as he stood and dusted himself off. He cast a dark look at James before leaving the room. Now that Riddle was in the room, James knew the time for games was over. He felt ill just sitting so near to him. He carefully cut a piece of chicken with his knife, determined to keep as much of his dignity alive for as long as he could.

Riddle gave a cold hiss of laughter, “You needn’t stand on ceremony, Mr. Evans. You must be famished. Please, eat.”

That was all the invitation James needed. He picked up the leg of chicken and tore into it with his teeth, dignity be hanged. He was vaguely aware of Riddle handing him a bread roll and pouring him wine. It was only after he held out a shiny green apple that he reckoned he should slow down. Riddle was staring at him with a strange and fascinated look on his face, the pressure of it was enough to ruin James’ appetite.

“It’s poisoned,” he said, shying away from it.

Riddle chuckled, “There wouldn’t any sense in killing you, Mr. Evans.”

“Then release me,” James demanded. “You have the medallion. I’m of no further value to you.”

Riddle withdrew the medallion from his breast pocket and held it up to the light.

“You’ve no idea what this is, do you?” he asked.

James glanced over it, “It’s a pirate medallion.”

“It’s Aztec gold,” said Riddle. “One of 882 pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself as blood money. But as it is with all men, the greed of Cortés was insatiable. As punishment, the gods, never mind which ones, placed a curse upon the gold. A terrible curse. Any mortal who removes even a single piece from the stone chest would be cursed for all eternity.”

James had been momentarily bespelled by Riddle’s voice and the gaze of the skull on the medallion. But now he felt a bubble of laughter rise in him.

“I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Riddle,” he said, pushing his plate away. Riddle stood, not having touched a thing on his own plate.

“That’s what I thought, too, when we were first told the tale,” Riddle sighed. “Buried on an island of dead but cannot be found except by those who already know where it is.” Riddle strolled to the window and looked out at the water. “But find it we did. There was the chest and inside it was the gold. And we took it all. We spent it away on food and drink and all manner of earthly pleasure.

“But the more we spent it. The more we came to realize that the drink would not satisfy, the food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasures in the world could not slake our lust,” Riddle turned back to James. James shuddered under his gaze but could not look away. “We are cursed men, Mr. Evans. We were compelled by greed, but now we are consumed by it. There is one way we can end the curse. The gold must be restored and the blood must be repaid. Thanks to you, we have the final piece.”

James frowned, something cold and slithery settling in his stomach. He swallowed. “And the blood to be repaid?”

“Well,” Riddle raised his eyebrows at him. “That’s why I said there’s no need to be killing you…yet.”

Horror crashed over James like a wave, threatening to drown him. The end of their voyage meant the end of his life. They would kill him over this nonsense fairy tale and he would never go home again. He refused to let the panic consume him, though. He had to think.

“You’re all mad,” James leapt up, making a show of stumbling and leaning against the table. He slipped one of the sharper knives from the table into his hand.

“Don’t be dramatic, Mr. Evans,” Riddle said, sounding almost bored. James braced himself against the table, took a breath, then made a dash for the door. He might have been fast, but Riddle was faster, blocking him in. They circled each other, James trying to dive around him, feinting left, but Riddle caught him. He looked quite shocked when James stabbed him in the heart.

James gasped and stepped backwards. Had he really just stabbed a man? He expected him to collapse instantly but Riddle merely looked down at the knife and pulled it out as though it were a burr caught on his sleeve.

“So after killing me, what is it you plan to do next?” he asked, examining the bloody knife then looking at James. With a shout, James fell backwards out of the cabin and stumbled across the deck.

What he found was only more horror. The full moon cast her light on the deck, showing in detail the skeletal forms of the crew. The ones nearest to the door fixed him with haunting smiles. Bits of decaying skin and gore clung to their cracking, grey bones and their clothes hung in dirty, frayed swaths. James cried out again in terror and ran for the longboats. A skeletal arm caught him around his middle and threw him backwards. He stumbled into the rotting form of Snape. He was seized by the scruff of the neck and shoved so hard he went sprawling headfirst at the feet of the captain.

Riddle spread his arms wide, still cloaked in shadow and whole, “The moonlight shows us what we truly are, Mr. Evans. We are not among the living so we cannot die, but neither are we dead.”

James scrambled to his feet and attempted to step back but the ghostly crew was pressing in on him.

“For too long, I’ve been parched unable to quench it,” Riddle seemed almost feverish now, his eyes going to a place James couldn’t follow or fathom. “For too long, I’ve been starving to death and haven’t died. I feel nothing. Not the wind on my face or the sun or the spray of the sea.” He stepped fully into the moonlight, the flesh decaying in an instant, his clothes aging centuries.

“You best start believing in ghost stories, Mr. Evans” Riddle said, “you’re in one!”

He uncorked a bottle of wine with his teeth and began to drink. The contents of the bottle spilled through the hole of his jaw and down his ribs, spreading red like blood and spattering on the ground. Heaving, James ran past the grotesque scene back into the safety of the captain’s cabin. He managed to crawl, nearly weeping, to a dark corner of the room. He held himself tightly, covering his ears, trying to keep out the devilish laughter from outside the door.

 

Lily awoke to the light of a grey dawn. Sometime during the night, she’d been covered with a blanket and her boots had been placed neatly at the end of the cot. The sound of snoring gave her start and she looked up to find Sirius sound asleep, stretched between two chairs. Remus was there as well, curled up in the small window seat. Lily felt something tender tug at her heart. Sleep-rumpled, the pair of them looked positively harmless. Remus’ curls looked almost gold in the light, his hand curled close to his face and Sirius still had his hat dangling from the tips of his fingers as he breathed deeply and evenly.

She smiled to herself and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Remus’ room was incredibly shabby and incredibly ordinary. There was a very small desk in the corner and a wardrobe, and there were books stacked to and fro. Lily stepped quietly of the balls of her stocking feet, inspecting the books more closely. Not only were there a good many nautical books, but there were books on history and art and music and even fairy tales. She knelt and picked up a book off the top stack, an anthology of mythical creatures. She touched the well loved cover, the corners of the pages soft and downy from being run across thumbs.

“Morning,” Lily looked under her elbow to see Remus rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Good morning,” she smiled at him and stood, holding the book to her chest. “Thank you for lending me your bed. You must have been very uncomfortable.”

“Not really,” Remus shook his head and stretched. “I fall asleep over here so often that it’s second nature.” He climbed out of the window seat and gave Sirius a small kick. Sirius snorted unattractively and sat up.

“What, what?” he looked around blearily, fumbling for his sword. “Oh. It’s early. Sod off.”

He put his hat over his face. Remus took the hat and slapped him with it.

“We’re to meet the crew at the docks at dawn,” he said. “We need to eat something and head out.”

Sirius groaned and snatched his hat back from Remus. Then he seemed to come to his senses because he suddenly bounded to his feet. Lily put on her boots and set the book on the bed.

“You can take that with you, if you’d like,” Remus said, shrugging on his coat. “I’ve got it memorized.”

“Thank you,” Lily beamed, surprised by his kindness. “I’ll take care of it, I promise.”

“Come on!” Sirius thundered from the bottom of the stairs. Lily hadn’t even noticed him leave. Remus smiled and rolled his eyes. Remus procured a bit of bread and milk that Lily and Sirius bolted down gratefully. As they were leaving the pub, she saw Remus leave some coins on the bar, no doubt for the food they’d eaten.

“All right, captain,” Remus said some time later. The dawn had broken over the docks and standing in front of them was a ragtag gang of folks. Lily, for one, was unenthused. But she knew better than to judge appearances. Especially after being chastised by Remus the night previous.

“They’re all faithful hands before the mast, every man worth his salt, and just as crazy as you,” Remus was saying as he and Sirius walked up and down the line, Sirius looking them over with a scrupulous eye. “Well. Perhaps not _that_ crazy.”

“I can’t say I’m impressed,” Lily said in low tones. She was anxious to be on the water again, heading for James. Instead she was standing here in the heat of the ever rising sun, staring at a scraggly bunch of sailors.

Sirius glanced at her as if he’d forgotten she was there. She was beginning to think it was a gag, albeit not a very funny one.

“Sailors!” Sirius raised his voice. “Do you have the courage to follow all orders and stay true even in the face of danger or death?”

“Aye, sir!” the crew shouted in response.

Sirius looked backward at Lily, “Satisfied?”

“And what’s the benefit for us?”

Lily, Remus, and Sirius looked down at the end of the line where someone was standing with a wide hat drawn over their face. Sirius walked over cautiously and lifted the hat.

“Mary!” he said, almost as if he were happy to see her. She promptly slapped him in the face.

“I suppose you didn’t deserve that one either?” Lily asked flatly.

“No, that one I deserved,” Sirius rubbed his jaw and smiled roguishly at the fierce woman, Mary. Her bronze cheeks were brushed with rose, and her wide, dark eyes were glaring daggers at Sirius.

“You stole my boat!” she yelled at him and he cowered just slightly.

“ _Borrowed_ is a better term, I think,” he said beseechingly. “Borrowed without permission but with every intention of bringing it back.”

“But you _didn’t!_ ” Mary shouted, pointing a finger in his face.

“You’ll get another one!” Remus said quickly, eager to remedy the situation.

“Another one?” Sirius asked.

“That one!” Lily pointed out to the _Interceptor._

“ _That one?_ ” Sirius screeched. Remus and Lily both leveled him with a look. He seemed to weigh his options for a moment then smiled as if it were all his idea. “Yes, that one! What say you?”

“Aye!” the crew chorused. Mary gave Lily a grateful look and a wink. Lily blushed pink and decided at once that Mary and Marlene would get on swimmingly. They all piled into longboats and set out of the bay within the hour, all the while, Sirius was casting dark looks at the sky. There were only a few clouds but his nervousness was catching and Lily found herself looking up often too.

Lily had been skeptical about the crew at first, but it was very impressive to watch them make the ship ready to sail. She mostly stayed out of the way at first, but eventually Remus coaxed her into the masts with him. The climb was the worst part. Once she reached the top, she was overwhelmed by the sight, and knew at once why the sailors were called to the sea.

“Oh goodness,” she breathed, clinging to a rope as the wind whipped her hair around her face. “Now that’s a view.”

The ocean was so vast and deep and blue. So much blue. Lily supposed that’s where heaven was, where the blue of the sky met the blue of the ocean.

“Isn’t it?” Remus smiled. He was sitting on the yardarm looking quite at ease. He shifted his weight whenever the ship moved under him, whereas Lily was nearly flung from her perch every time too strong of a breeze blew by. Even so, it didn’t stop her from spreading her arms wide and letting the wind buffet against her. Remus was a bit anxious watching her, but he didn’t speak it out loud. It wasn’t until the sky grew black with clouds that they slid back down to the deck.

The squall burst a few hours later. Lily was determined help, but she was also determined to stay alive. She wasn’t quite sure how to do both at the same time, so she stuck close to Remus. The storm only worsened as time went on. Sirius was still at the helm, a compass poised in his hand. His grey eyes were wild, flashing nearly white in the lightning.

“What’s he doing?” Lily had to scream to be heard over the howling winds and sheets of rain.

Remus shook his head, indicating he was just as in the dark as she was. Just then, a massive wave crashed over the deck and Lily saw Mary thrown to the floor. As the ship tipped, Lily saw Mary struggling against the pull of the sea. She leapt and grabbed Mary’s wrist in one hand, using the other arm to anchor herself around the mast. The ship righted itself and Mary quickly got to her feet.

“Thanks!” she shouted. “Watch yourself out there!”

Lily watched as Mary disappeared into the sleet.

“How are we supposed to find an island that nobody can get to,” she yelled, “with a compass that doesn’t work?”

“The compass doesn’t point North!” Remus shouted back at her. “But we’re not trying to find North, are we?”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Lily screamed.

Remus didn’t give an answer, he was making his way up to the helm. Lily followed closely behind, impressed by how unflapped Sirius seemed, considering the situation. His eyes were focused on a point on the horizon.

“We should drop canvas, Pads!” Remus was shouting.

“She can hold a bit longer!” Sirius said, a grin on his face. Then he started laughing, swinging the helm as if he were dancing with it.

“What’s put _you_ in such a fine mood?” Lily shouted at him. Only then did his gaze leave middle distance, fixing on her gleefully.

“We’re catching up!”


	3. James Potter And The No Good Very Bad Day

The weather had settled by the next morning. Though she had long dried off, Lily still felt chilled through. They were sleeping in shifts now that there was no fear of the ship capsizing. Lily had offered to go last, knowing she’d only toss restlessly until they found James. She still needed looking after, since many of the sailing terms went over her head, so Remus was never far away.

“You look tired,” she said as he sat on a barrel repairing a bit of canvas. “You should go sleep.”

“And who will watch over you if I do?” Remus raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll be fine,” she sat next to him. “Mary said she’ll help me.”

“I’m all right, thank you,” he gave her a smile and went back to his work. “So tell me about your James. You two must be close to follow him through hell and high water.”

“Well, we met when we were children, but he’s the governor’s son so we weren’t allowed to spend much time together after childhood. You would like him, though. He’s inquisitive, smart, endlessly kind, and enthusiastic about life,” Lily stared off into a wall of mist slowly encroaching the ship. “Will they kill him?”

Remus looked up from his work and squinted up at the sky, taking a moment to think, “No. I don’t think so.”

“Tell me about Sirius,” Lily changed the subject quickly, her anxiety flaring. “For someone so arrogant, he doesn’t seem to like talking about himself much.”

Sirius was standing at the helm, where he’d been rooted since the start of the voyage. He neither ate nor slept. Only turned the compass this way and that, then turned the helm accordingly.

“We met when we were both very young. I followed him around the world hunting down all manner of ancient and fantastical objects, I’m sure you’ve heard the tales,” Remus began fondly.

“I did but I didn’t think any of them were true,” said Lily.

“Well some are, some are just to bolster his reputation, some have been taken way out of context,” Remus hissed as he stabbed himself in the thumb with the needle. “In any case, he and I were thick as thieves. Then one day, he simply…vanished. I tried looking for him but it was as if he’d fallen off the face of the earth. So I set about making a life for myself, convinced he’d been imprisoned somewhere or dead. Two years later, he stumbled back into Tortuga looking like he’d been spat out by the Devil himself, going on and on about the Black Pearl and a cursed island.”

“Cursed island?” Lily scoffed.

Remus gave her a faint smile, “Yes well. After sleeping for two days straight, he was lucid enough to tell me the story. He’d gone after the treasure of the Isla De Muerta. This was back when he was captain of the _Black Pearl._ ”

Lily nearly slid off her barrel, “He was the _captain?_ ”

“Oh, yes, didn’t he mention that?” Remus’ eyes darted up to where Sirius stood.

“Must have slipped his mind,” Lily said dryly.

“Yes, well, he plays things a little closer to the vest now, and for good reason,” Remus insisted. “Three days into the journey his first mate came to him and said since everything is an equal share, that should mean the location of the treasure as well. So Sirius, being an honorable man if not a bit stupid, gives up the bearings. That night there was a mutiny. They marooned Sirius on an island and left him to die.”

Remus’ face had gone rigid with anger and he had to set aside his sewing project before he hurt himself. Lily felt ill, suddenly, for judging Sirius so harshly. She took up Remus’ sewing and picked up where he left off.

“Thanks,” he murmured. “Now, Lily, when a pirate’s marooned, they’re left a pistol with a single shot. Just one. Not much use for hunting, or for signaling a ship. But after three weeks of starvation and thirst, well…that bullet starts to look mighty friendly. Sirius escaped that island and he still has that single shot. He’s been saving it for one man in particular.”

“Riddle,” Lily looked up at him. “His first mate.”

Remus nodded gravely. They sat in silence for quite some time, the ship shrouded in an eerie fog and Lily could see the skeletal remains of sunken ships. It was a wonder how Sirius managed to sail them through it.

“How did Sirius get off the island?” She asked after several minutes. She handed Remus the finished canvas and he studied her work.

“Sea turtles,” he said vaguely.

“Pardon?”

“He waded into the shallows and stood there for three days and three nights until the sea creatures became accustomed to his presence, as they do,” Remus said as if this were all perfectly ordinary.

“Naturally,” Lily blinked at him.

“On the morning of the fourth day, he found a pair of sea turtles, roped them together and used them as a raft to sail into port,” Remus finished, looking rather pleased with himself.

Lily stared at him, “He….roped together a couple of sea turtles.”

“Yes.”

“Remus,” Lily folded her hands. “What did he use for rope?”

Remus looked up and away from her. It was only then Lily noticed Sirius standing there next to them, though she couldn’t say how long he’d been there.

“Human hair,” he said smugly. He and Remus shared a grin and Lily threw up her hands.

“Fine, don’t tell me,” she said. “I know you lot are hiding something and I intend to find out just what.”

“Put a pin in that for now, Miss Evans,” Sirius smirked. “Let go the anchor!”

“Aye, Captain!” the crew shouted and hurried about the deck to follow orders. Both Lily and Remus stood but Sirius put a hand on Remus’ chest.

“Miss Evans and I will go ashore. You mind the ship, Moony,” Sirius said.

“But I want to come,” Remus looked surprised and a little hurt.

“I’ll come back,” Sirius assured him. Lily turned away and busied herself with folding the repaired canvas. This moment was not for her to be a party to. “But on the very slim chance I don’t, I want you to keep to the Code.”

Remus sputtered incomprehensibly, outraged.

“No!” he managed to finally spit out. “I won’t!”

“Remus, don’t make a scene,” Sirius drew Remus out of Lily’s earshot, but that didn’t stop her from watching them out of the corner of her eye. They were standing very close to one another, talking almost at the same time. Remus grew angry, then very, very sad, then angry again. Sirius kept an even face for the most part, but Lily could see it was a strain, his body curling slightly in on itself. After a tense silence, in which Sirius stared beseechingly at Remus while Remus stared furiously at the ground, there seemed to be an accord. Sirius clapped Remus on the back and tried to get Remus to look at him. But he was brushed off and Remus went to the helm without a word. Sirius looked after him, his shoulders slumping. Then he turned and walked over to Lily.

“Let’s be off,” he said shortly and breezed past her to the longboats. Lily felt sad that Remus and Sirius had quarreled and that she didn’t have time to say goodbye to Remus. But this feeling was quickly overpowered by her anxiety as they rowed towards the black mouth of a craggy cave. Lily held their lamp aloft as Sirius rowed through the winding tunnel.

“Why didn’t you take Remus with you when you left to find the Isla De Muerta?” she finally asked, her voice splintering itself against the rocks and echoing back at her.

She heard Sirius sigh, “It was too dangerous. And I admit I didn’t completely trust my crew. But I didn’t think that they’d commit mutiny until _after_ we’d found the treasure. Remus would’ve gotten himself killed if he’d come along.”

“That was...very noble,” Lily said, not turning to look at him.”

“I know. Shocking,” she could hear the sarcastic smile in Sirius’ voice.

“What code should Remus keep to if the worst should happen?” 

“Pirate’s Code,” Sirius answered. “Any man that falls behind, gets left behind.”

Lily shivered, “I don’t remember agreeing to that. Seems a bit sneaky.”

“I know you don’t have the highest regard for pirates but you’re well on your way to becoming one,” Sirius said blithely.

“What?” Lily scrunched up her face as she peered into the waters.

“Let’s see,” said Sirius thoughtfully. “You sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship from the royal fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga, and you’re completely obsessed with treasure.”

Lily, who had been leaning over the side of the boat to look down at the piles of coins below, tore her eyes away and turned to glare at the back of his head.

“That’s not true,” she said, swaying as the boat scraped up onto the sand. “I’m not _obsessed,_ ; with treasure.”

_Sirius looked at her evenly, “Not all treasure is silver and gold, Miss Evans.”_

__

__

James had resigned himself to silent bravery. He hoped it came off as handsome and brooding, rather than silently petrified, but he did what he could with the hand he was dealt. In any case, none of the crew had bothered him the rest of the voyage to the Isla de Muerta. When they had reached the shores of that God-forsaken island, Snape had bound his hands with a little too much enjoyment and now he had rope burns. He weighed the discomfort of the ropes against the fact that he was about to die and decided not to complain about it. 

They took the longboats through the jaws of a monstrous cave and into the belly of it. In the tunnels, he could see the channel bed was littered with gold and precious baubles and the occasional jewel. There were also skeletons. Not the kind that came to life, thank heavens, the actual dead kind, however he still kept an eye on them until they were out of sight. 

So as he stood before the massive stone chest that held the cursed fortune of Cortés, James thought of his mother and father. They must be sick with worry. He had worked out that the pirates heard the call of the medallion when he’d fallen into the water with it after Commodore McKinnon’s ceremony. Naturally, the next logical step was to drown himself in guilt and self-deprecation. If he hadn’t taken that medallion out of its drawer, this never would have happened. 

“Gentlemen, the time has come!” Riddle climbed up the natural stone dais and stood by James’ side. “Our salvation is upon us!” 

The crowd of pirates before them raised their voices in a cheer and their echoes rose to meet them in a macabre chorus. 

“Our torment is at an end!” Riddle shouted above the voices. “Each man here has proved his mettle a hundred times over, and a hundred times again!” 

James could feel the sweat beading on his brow and he felt faint. He could run. He could put up a fight. But his limbs were no longer responding to him, and he stood frozen before the crew. 

“Punished we were, the lot of us,” Riddle went on, his pale face looking sharp and sinister in the dim light of the torches. “Disproportionate to our crime! And now here it is, the cursed treasure of Cortés himself. Every piece hunted down and returned. Save for this.” 

Out of his coat, Riddle drew out the medallion and held it high in the air. James’ eyes locked onto it. If he were to die now, he wanted to keep his eyes on something precious to him. If he couldn’t look at Lily one last time, he could look at something that she’d touched. 

“We despaired at ever finding this last piece, but no longer,” Riddle said, almost to himself. “We have paid our debt in blood. All except for one.” 

Riddle, finally satisfied that he’d heard enough of his own voice, seized James by the scruff of the neck and shoved him forward over the chest. He grabbed a stone knife and held it high. 

“Begun by blood. By blood, undone,” he murmured. Then he grabbed James’ hand and cut a deep gash across his palm, into which he pressed the medallion. James gave a sharp cry of pain and surprise as Riddle forced his hand closed. Then he was released and the medallion, covered now in his blood, fell into the pile of coins in the chest. 

“That’s it?” James held his hand close to his body, balling it into a protective fist. 

“Waste not,” Riddle said with smile cold enough to chill the Devil. 

The collective held its breath in anticipation. James had expected some kind of divine light to come down through the cave and return them to their mortal state. Actually, James had expected to be dead and he was now pleasantly surprised. The crew was looking around anxiously. 

“Did…did it work?” Pettigrew was the first to speak. “I don’t feel any different, h-how do we know?” 

Before anyone could offer up a suggestion, Riddle cocked his pistol and shot Pettigrew through the chest. James gasped sharply, as did the rest of the crew. They watched as Peter put a hand to the smoking hole in his chest, looking shocked. 

“You’re still alive,” Malfoy said hollowly, sounding almost disappointed. 

“Yeah!” for a moment, Pettigrew looked over the moon. Then his face fell. “Hey, you shot me!” 

But Riddle was upon James now, grabbing his arm in rage, “Your father, what was his name? Was your father William Evans?” 

James reached deep and managed to scrape together enough arrogance and malice to smirk at him, chin high in the air, “No.” 

“Where is his child who sailed from England ten years ago? The child in whose veins flows the blood of William Evans?” Riddle grabbed the bloody medallion and shook it in James’ face. James didn’t answer, only gave him an impudent stare. 

Riddle roared in fury and struck him hard across the face. James saw stars and fell backwards over the edge of the stone dais. His head hit a rock on the way down and when he came to a stop near the water’s edge, he decided being on the ground was much better, and getting up seemed too much of a trial at the moment. He was staying put. 

Lily and Sirius watched the spectacle from a hidden alcove at the back of the cave. The crew of the _Pearl_ were standing at the bottom of a natural stone dais with a large chest placed in the center. There were riches scattered all around the floor, overturned chests full of silks and goblets and jewels. Lily noticed none of that. The moment she saw James standing behind the stone chest, it was as if her eyes never wanted to look at anything again. He looked so brave, his shoulders squared, his jaw set. If she couldn’t see him worrying the sleeve of his shirt, she wouldn’t have thought he was scared at all. 

“Is that Riddle?” she whispered, pointing to the sinister looking man dressed in all black. 

“That’s him,” Sirius’ voice had changed. It was like stone scraping on stone now, no warmth in it at all. They watched as Riddle made some kind of speech about curses and coins, while all the while Lily watched James. Then she had to watch Riddle force James’ head over the stone chest and hold up a knife. 

“Sirius!” she hissed and tried to climb through the alcove to the dais. Sirius grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back. 

“Hold on!” he whispered fiercely, setting her down before she started brawling. “We must wait for the opportune moment.” 

“When the hell is that?” Lily quickly went back to the alcove just in time to watch Riddle cut open James’ hand. She was relieved it hadn’t been his neck, but he was still in danger. 

“Have I ever given you a reason not to trust me?” Sirius looked into her eyes, pleading. 

Lily shook him off, “I’m not going to be your leverage, Sirius.” 

With that, she darted down one of the dark tunnels. She heard Sirius hissing after her, but she was too quick and lost him in the dark. She followed the voices and the sound of water until the tunnel opened near the stone dais. James was lying in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the dais, a cut on his forehead, but otherwise unharmed. Slowly, she sank into the water, hardly making a sound. She swam over to James and put a hand over his mouth. He started, his eyes flying open, then he saw her. 

“Lily,” he breathed, smiling. Her heart melted but she knew now was neither the time nor place. She motioned for him to follow her into the water. The cave was in pandemonium, the pirates were all shouting at one another trying to place blame, and things were beginning to sound mutinous. Lily led James back through the water and through the tunnels. 

“Sirius?” she whispered as loud as she dared. “Sirius?” 

He was nowhere to be found, not in the alcove, nor waiting by the boat. She wanted to wait but she knew that any second, they would be pursued. Feeling rather disgusted with herself, Lily decided it was in their best interest to keep to the Code. 

  

Sirius was having a very bad week. First, he sank Mary’s boat in the harbor of Port Royal. He had every intention of giving it back, but try telling that to a coral reef. Second, he’d gotten himself arrested for saving the life of some feckless whelp in a fancy suit. Third of all, he let himself get dragged hither and yon by the most bad tempered blacksmith he’d ever met. And it was only Wednesday. 

When he lost Lily in the caves, he considered leaving her there and taking the longboat back to the _Interceptor._ It was nice enough and it would be good fun to rob unsuspecting vessels with the queen’s own ship. Unfortunately, the _Black Pearl_ was stuck in his craw and he didn’t think he would forgive himself if he let her get away again, and Remus would never forgive _him_ for letting Lily die on this stupid island. 

So he had to rework his plan very quickly, considering he was under some external pressure. That pressure being the restless undead gathered in the cave before him. It struck him that maybe if he’d asked nicely, Lily might have agreed to being bait. She seemed the honorable sort. Perhaps a bit too honorable for his tastes, he thought as he lie in wait in the dark as the crew of the Pearl shouted at one another. Then when Riddle sent them after Lily and the Potter lad, he stepped out as if he’d lost his way. 

“You!” it was Peter who saw him first. “You’re supposed to be dead!” 

“Am I?” Sirius looked down at himself and frowned. “Oh.” 

He turned as if to walk away, but the tunnel behind him was now blocked by none other than Snape. 

“Snivellus,” Sirius glowered at him. Snape curled his lip and cocked his gun. In fact, everyone had their weapons raised, advancing on him. 

“Palulay,” Sirius held up a finger. “Palilulu.” 

Malofy, who was already frowning, frowned more and Peter tipped his head to the side. 

Sirius snapped his fingers as if trying to remember the word, “Parsnips, parsley—” 

“Parley?” Peter said helpfully. 

“That’s it! Parley!” Sirius grinned. “I invoke that or, you know, whatever I have to say to get out of this.” 

Malfoy and Snape glared at Peter, who shrunk under their gazes. 

“Damn to the depths whatever man thought of ‘parley’” Malfoy said through gritted teeth. 

“That’d be the French,” Sirius said noncommittally. “I’d like to speak to your… _captain._ ” 

He was escorted, a bit roughly, back into the chamber with the stone chest where Riddle had been fuming. When he saw Sirius, he narrowed his eyes in confusion. 

“Hulloa, Tommy,” Sirius greeted him cheerfully. 

“How the blazes did you get off that island?” Riddle asked, walking very slowly towards him until they were only a few feet apart. 

“When you marooned me on that godforsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing,” said Sirius 

“That being?” Riddle frowned. 

“I’m Sirius fucking Black,” he gave Riddle a grin and he was pleased to see Riddle’s face twitch in anger. 

“Aye? Well I won’t be making that mistake again,” Riddle sneered. “Kill him.” 

As he turned away to let the crew do his dirty work, Sirius called after him, “The boy’s blood didn’t work, did it?” 

Riddle froze, as did the crew. They looked expectantly from Sirius to Riddle. Riddle slowly, deliberately, turned and leveled Sirius with a calculating gaze. 

“Hold your fire,” Riddle said. Sirius noted that at least three of the crew members looked disappointed. Riddle took two long strides and he was toe to toe with Sirius. 

“You know whose blood we need,” he said it not as a question, he already knew Sirius had him pinned. 

Sirius’ face spread wide in a grin, “I know whose blood you need.” 

He again was shuffled rather rudely from the cave and into a longboat. He had managed to steal away two oars before Lily had taken them all. He had to admit that was a clever idea on her part. He might actually like her. Stepping onto the deck of the _Pearl_ was like coming home. He refrained from kissing her mast, thinking that might be a bit much. He did however, blow a kiss to Snape as he and Riddle stepped into the captain’s cabin to negotiate. 

“So you’re telling me,” Riddle leaned forward across his desk at the end of Sirius’ proposal, “you expect to leave me on some beach with nothing but a name and your word it’s the one I need, while I watch you sail away in my ship?” 

“No, of course not!” Sirius said. “I expect to leave you standing on some beach with absolutely no name at all, while I sail away on _my_ ship. And then I will shout the name back at you. Savvy?” 

Riddle’s eyes crackled with malice, “But that still leaves us the problem of me standing on some beach with naught but a name and your word it’s the one I need.” 

“You know, Tom. Of the two of us, I’m the only one who hasn’t committed mutiny,” Sirius lifted a black leather-bound book and studied it. The pages were mysteriously blank, and holding it gave him the heebie-jeebies so he put it down. “Therefore, my word is the one we’ll be trusting. Although I suppose I should be thanking you, because if you hadn’t betrayed me and left me to die, I would have an equal share in that curse, same as you.” 

Sirius smirked and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. Riddle eyed him up and down, seeming loathe to even have him in this room. Then the door opened and Snape appeared. 

“Captain, we are coming upon the _Interceptor,_ ” he said. Riddle stood and headed out onto the deck. Sirius followed, making sure to cut Snape off from hanging onto the coattails of his captain. The _Interceptor_ was fast, and Sirius had hoped he’d given them enough of a head start, but the _Pearl_ still remained the fastest ship on the seas. He looked across the water and saw the _Interceptor_ getting closer and closer. 

“I just had a thought,” Sirius said, following Riddle to the helm. “Why don’t we run up a flag of truce, I scurry over to the _Interceptor_ and negotiate the return of your medallion?” 

Riddle scowled at him, “Now see, that’s exactly the attitude that lost you the _Pearl_ in the first place. People are easy to search when they’re dead. Lock him in the brig.” 

Sirius swallowed and tried to keep down the rising panic in his chest as Snape grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. He looked back out at the _Interceptor_ one last time and prayed that Remus was exactly as clever as he thought he was. They were going to need all the cleverness in the world if they were going to survive 

  

James was barefoot and he found himself somewhat embarrassed by that fact as he stepped up onto the deck of the _Interceptor._

“Welcome aboard, Mr. Potter,” a tall young man smiled at him. He looked pleasant enough, but the others looked exactly like what they were; pirates. 

“Not more pirates,” James groaned softly. Of course, he had been wondering how exactly Lily had gotten on that island. _That explains that,_ he thought. 

“Lily,” said the young man who had greeted him. “Where’s Sirius?” 

“Sirius?” James turned to Lily, eyebrows raised high. “Sirius _Black?_ ” 

Lily shook her head slightly at him then looked at the young man, “Fell behind.” 

They shared a look that James couldn’t understand, but he could see they were both distressed, the young man greatly so. No one spoke for a moment then the young man nodded to a woman with dark hair. She started barking orders and the pirates stepped to. 

“Let’s get you looked at,” Lily gently touched his elbow. He couldn’t remember the last time she’d done something like that. They slipped down into the hold, uninterrupted by anyone. Lily seemed a bit pale when they reached the kitchen, collapsing next to the warm stove and taking a breath. 

“You have no idea—” 

“You won’t believe—” 

They both stopped and laughed sheepishly 

“Why don’t we go tell it together?” James smiled. They told their stories in pieces, what they were doing at each moment on separate ships. When he spoke, he was keenly aware of her gaze. She never interrupted, although she made him retell the story of the curse and the skeletal crew on the _Black Pearl,_ assuring him that she believed him, but dumbfounded all the same. 

“What kind of man trades someone’s life for a ship!” James said in outrage when their stories finally joined. His hand had started bleeding again and he was trying in vain to bandage it. 

“Here, let me,” Lily’s hands caught his and his breath stopped in his throat. “You said you gave Riddle my name instead of yours. Why?” 

James hesitated, “I er…I don’t know.” 

He let out a soft gasp and flinched away as Lily accidentally pulled the bandage too tightly. 

“Sorry,” she cringed, her cheeks turning pink. “Blacksmith’s hands. I know they’re rough.” 

She deftly finished the knot on the bandage and James could tell she was going to pull away. 

“No. I-I mean, yes, they are,” he stammered. “But don’t stop.” 

Lily raised her eyes to meet his. She was so close, he could count all the freckles on her nose if he wanted to. James found himself leaning closer and Lily’s hand rose to touch his cheek. They were mere inches away when he felt a brush of cold metal against his chest. 

“Lily,” he murmured, feeling wholly unworthy of calling her by name. He reached into his shirt and drew out the medallion, snapping it off of his neck and pressing it into her palm. Her mouth opened in astonishment. 

“I thought I’d lost it the day they rescued me,” she whispered, touching the face of it. “It was a gift from my father. He…he sent it to me. Why did you take it?” 

James lowered his gaze feeling that old guilt sprout new leaves in him, “Because I was afraid that you were a pirate. That would have been awful.” 

Lily paused, working something out in her mind. Then her face cleared and she gave a small, dry laugh. 

“It wasn’t your blood they needed. It was my father’s blood. My blood,” she said, shutting her eyes. “Thank you. For giving it back.” 

“Don’t thank me yet,” James chuckled weakly. “There’s something else.” 

Lily tipped her head, looking worried, “All right. Let’s hear it.” 

“I…proposed to Marlene,” saying the worlds aloud felt like dropping a match into oil. This time all the color let out of Lily’s face. 

“Oh,” she cleared her throat. “I see. Congratulations, I suppose? I don’t exactly know what to say to that.” 

“It wasn’t my idea,” James leaned forward, trying to catch her eye. “My father had this notion that it’s what I _should_ do. But…it’s not what I want.” 

Lily looked up at him through her lashes, “Did she accept?” 

“I’m not sure,” James replied honestly. Lily scoffed. “Truly! I was too busy fainting from heat exhaustion.” 

Lily laughed, some of the unhappiness leaving her face. 

“Be that as it may,” she reached for his hands again, sending another jolt through his veins “and as much as it pains me to admit, if Marlene has accepted, I don’t think it would be right to back out of the proposal.” 

He frowned, not understanding her. 

“James, I know you. And I know how very honorable you are,” she brushed her fingertips over his knuckles and he had to focus very hard on her voice and not her hands. “I don’t think you could do that to Mar or her reputation. And I think the Commodore would put your head on a spike to boot.” 

“You’re absolutely right,” James laughed. “Then let’s hope she didn’t accept.” 

Lily’s smile was a forced little thing as she let his hands go, “Let’s hope.” 

There was an awkward shuffle as they both attempted to excuse themselves. Lily vanished into the cabins and James took his leave up to the deck. He went to the portside rail and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of salty sea air. Something had shifted between him and Lily. He knew it when he first saw her face in the water. Never in his life would he have thought she’d come after him. And then again in the hold, it had pained her a great deal to hear he had proposed to Marlene. It wasn’t as if he thought she was indifferent towards him, but he never had it in him to hope that she might love him too. 

Someone softly cleared their throat behind him, pulling him out of his thoughts. He found the distressed young man from before, Lily called him Remus, standing a few feet away. 

“We haven’t been properly introduced,” he said politely. “I’m Remus Lupin.” 

James shook his hand, “James Potter. Lily spoke fondly of you.” 

Remus smiled, although it didn’t reach his eyes. 

“You and Black,” James said delicately. “You were close?” 

“Yeah, you could say that,” Remus said ruefully. “Before he went to rescue you, he made me promise to leave him behind if the worst should happen. So I’m hoping that was his plan all along, to get caught. But there’s always that little bit of doubt.” 

James nodded, putting his hands in his pockets, “I don’t know much about Sirius Black, but he sounds too clever for his own good.” 

This made Remus smile in earnest, “You’re right about that.” 

“Lupin! Behind us!” the girl called Mary shouted at him from the helm. There was an edge of fear to her voice that brought Remus and James running up to her. James went rigid as he saw the _Black Pearl_ gaining on them, shrouded by that unnatural mist. 

“All hands!” Remus shouted to the crew. “Hands aloft to loose the gallants! With this wind she’ll carry every sail we’ve got! Get your asses moving!” 

The crew sprang into action like nothing James had ever seen. They scrambled high into the masts, opening any and all sails. 

“This is the fastest ship in the Caribbean!” said James, hanging on to hope. 

“You can tell them that after they’ve caught us!” Mary snapped at him. 

_“We’re shallower on the draft right?” James asked, pressing his fingers to his forehead as if that would more easily help him search through his knowledge of sailing._

“Aye,” Mary said, she and Remus sharing a skeptical look. 

“Then can’t we lose them amongst those shoals?” James pointed out towards some patches of white sandbanks on the starboard side. 

Remus looked out at the shoals, his face brightening, “We don’t have to outrun them long. Just long enough.” 

Mary nodded in agreement, “Lighten the ship! Stem to stern!” 

“Anything we can afford to lose, see that it’s lost!” Remus shouted, joining the crew on the deck. James felt exhilarated as he ran after him, helping him toss barrels and chests over the edge of the ship. His blood thrummed with excitement and he almost wanted to laugh. Although he knew that would be inappropriate considering the situation. 

But it seemed all in vain, the _Pearl_ only grew closer and the shoals were still a long ways off. 

“It was a good plan,” Mary said to him, defeat in her voice. “Until now.” 

James felt his stomach sink, his joy and excitement evaporating. 

“Remus!” Lily appeared on the deck, joining them at the helm. “What are you doing? We have to make a stand! Load the guns!” 

“With what?” Mary asked. “We just threw everything over.” 

“Anything!” Lily threw her hands up. “Anything we have left!” 

“She’s right,” James said and Lily flashed him a grateful look. 

Remus still looked doubtful but he called down to the crew, “Load the guns!” 

Mary gave a look to the sky and muttered either a prayer or a curse. James couldn’t take his eyes off of Lily. Her hair was loose and radiant, and she looked positively fearsome. She gave him a smile then leapt onto the deck to help the others load the cannons. They stuffed the cannons full of forks and knives, nails and crushed glass, whatever they could find, it was loaded. Remus, Lily, and James seemed to form an unspoken team, wherever one was, the other two weren’t far behind. 

“The _Pearl’s_ going to luff up on our port quarter,” Remus was shouting up the stairs as they regrouped with Mary. “She’ll take us down without ever presenting a target.” 

They all looked at James. 

“Well?” Mary prodded. “Any ideas?” 

James looked around, calculated, then looked at Mary again, “Let’s lower the anchor on the right side.” 

They gave him a quizzical look. 

“The _starboard_ side,” he said. 

Remus still looked skeptical, not moving, “Do you think I don’t know where ‘right’ is? 

“It certainly has the element of surprise,” said Lily, ignoring Remus. 

“You’re daft!” Mary cried. “Both of you!” 

“Daft like Sirius,” Remus said, a grin spreading across his face. He ran to the rail and shouted once more at the crew. “Lower the starboard anchor!” 

The crew looked at each other, confusion written on their faces. 

“Do it now or it’s you we’ll be loading into the cannons!” Remus commanded, rather forcefully. This time the crew stepped to, Lily jumping down to help them. The ship lurched as the anchor scraped down against the sandy bottom. They were nearly in range of the _Pearl’s_ guns. He could only hope that they would make the turn in time. Then the anchor caught on a rock and they were all thrown. 

“Let go!” James shouted at Mary. She let go of the helm and it spun wildly. The ship groaned as she turned completely around, now facing the _Pearl._ They came up on each other’s flanks and James could see clearly the crew of the _Pearl_ jeering and shouting at them from the deck. 

“Keep us steady!” he heard Lily shout from the deck. 

“Fire!” Riddle shouted from the deck of the _Pearl._

“Fire all!” James bellowed. 

The roar of cannon fire made his ears ring as they were suddenly locked in battle. Smoke and fire and splintering wood filled the air. From both decks James could hear screaming and the sounds of muskets and pistols being fired. Men fell from both sides, landing in the water and disappearing into the depths. James raced down into the chaos with Mary on his heels, searching for Remus and Lily. He found them both in the thick of it, Remus with his sword and Lily firing a gun. He’d never seen her with a gun. It was an interesting image that he filed away for later. An explosion rocked the boat and they crouched down behind some splintered planks of wood to catch their breath. 

“We could use a few more ideas, James!” Remus shouted above the noise. 

“It’s your turn!” he retorted. 

“Why don’t we just give them what they want?” Mary eyed James. 

“And here I was thinking we were friends,” he put a hand to his chest, pretending to be hurt. 

“He’s not what they’re after,” Lily said. And that’s when James felt the absence of the medallion under his shirt. 

“The medallion,” he said, looking at Lily. 

Without a word, Lily sprang up and ran to the door to the hold. 

“Lily!” James shouted and attempted to follow her. 

“James, get down!” Remus grabbed him by the back of the shirt and pulled him back onto the deck. A nasty looking grappling hook swung out in the place James had just been standing and dug itself into the rail. 

“They’re preparing to board!” said Mary. “Take this!” 

She shoved a sword into his hands. Their eyes met and she gave him an apologetic look. James cast one last look at the door leading down to the hold, hoping to see Lily appear with the medallion in hand. Another explosion rocked the ship and with a splintering creak, the mast of the mainsail came crashing down. Remus threw his arm over James, protecting him from the fallout. 

As they tried to recover from the blow, the crew of the _Pearl_ took that as an opportunity to board. James knew fighting was futile, one can’t kill the undead. Their last hope for survival was to give up the medallion. He looked again towards the door of the hold, only to find the yardarm of the mainsail pinning the door closed. 

“James!” over the din of battle, he heard Lily calling his name. 

“Lily!” he scrambled up and ran to her. Her face was pale and pressed up against the crossed bars of the door. He could see water rising below her, it was nearly at her feet. He strained with effort, trying to push and pull the yardarm but it wouldn’t budge. 

“Lily, I’m going to get help!” he said to her. “Remus!” 

He saw Remus locked in battle with Malfoy. Mary was also fighting, managing to hold her own against two very large men. 

“James!” her arm shot out and she grabbed his hand. He felt cold metal against his palm. “Take the medallion! Take it!” 

He put the medallion around his neck then tried again to lift the yardarm. He was nearly sobbing with panic. The water was around her waist now. He saw the battle waning and the crew was being rounded up. Malfoy and Pettigrew were marching towards him. The water was at her shoulders. 

“Lily, I can’t move it!” he cried, throwing himself down and reaching through the bars to touch her face. 

“It’s okay, James, it’s okay,” she said, although she was crying. She kissed his knuckles. The water was at her chin. 

James felt two pairs of hands grab him and start to pull him away. He felt half-mad as he screamed and struggled against their grasp. He saw Lily’s hand for just a moment, then it vanished down into the hold. He was dragged roughly over to the _Pearl_ and tied to the mast, along with what remained of the _Interceptor’s_ crew. He saw Snape and he saw the butt of his pistol and then he saw stars. 

“James,” he recognized Remus had been calling his name repeatedly, trying to rouse him, but this was the first time he heard it clearly. They had sailed some distance from the wreckage of the _Interceptor_ but not much, so he hadn’t been unconscious long. 

“Lily!” James ducked under the ropes and made for the rail, to jump over the side and swim to her. No one moved to stop him and he found that odd. That is until the _Interceptor_ exploded into a ball of flame. It was as if he’d been shot in the heart. The edges of his vision blurred and he felt his knees go weak. 

“You heartless wretch!” he roared and threw himself at Riddle. 

“Welcome back, Master James,” Riddle caught him easily, giving him an evil smile. “I believe you’re more trouble than you’re worth. But then again, I’m sure I could fetch a pretty penny for a strapping lad like you. Put him in the brig!” 

He gave James a hard shove and he was suddenly set upon with dozens of hands grabbing at him. He heard the crew of the _Interceptor_ protesting while the crew of the _Pearl_ laughed hungrily. 

“Riddle!” 

Everything stopped as a voice rose high above the noise. And suddenly there was Lily. She was soaking wet, and armed with only a pistol, but her face was a storm as she glared down at Riddle. 

“He goes free,” she said, pointing the gun at Riddle’s forehead. 

“What’s in your head, girl?” he sneered. “You’ve only got one shot and we can’t die.” 

Black, who James noticed for the first time, called to Lily, “Don’t do anything stupid.” 

Lily seemed to ignore him. “You can’t,” she said, leaping back onto the rail where everyone could see her. She held the pistol to her head. “But I can.” 

James gasped sharply, and struggled against the hands on him. 

“You see, that was stupid,” Black said, covering his face with his hands. 

Riddle narrowed his eyes at Lily, looking as confused as James reckoned was possible for a man like him. 

“Who _are_ you?” he asked. 

“No one!” Black said before Lily could answer, stepping in front of Riddle. “She’s no one! Just a distant cousin of my aunt’s nephew, twice removed. A bit barmy.” 

“My name is Lily Evans!” Lily shouted. “My father was Bootstrap Bill Evans.” 

“Lily, stop!” James cried, but it was too late. She now had Riddle’s full attention. 

“On my word, do as I say, or I’ll pull this trigger,” she said, and James knew she meant it. Lily never broke promises. 

Riddle regarded her for a moment then gave a slow nod, “Name your terms, Miss Evans.” 

“James goes free!” she said. 

“Yes, we know that one,” Riddle drawled. “Anything else?” 

Lily’s eyes flickered to Remus and the others, “And the crew. The crew are not to be harmed.” 

Riddle lifted his chin and gave Lily a chilling smile. “Agreed.” 

And that’s how James found himself walking the plank. 

They had stopped in the shallows near a small barren island. Remus and Lily were both shouting at Riddle, but they had both been bound to the mast and forced to watch. 

“Riddle, you lying bastard!” Lily screamed. “You swore he’d go free!” 

“The manner in which she was to be set free was not specified in our agreement, Miss Evans,” Riddle remarked carelessly. He waved a hand and James saw her gagged. 

“Off you go, Master James,” Riddle tipped his hat. James took a step forward, looking down into the depths. He had never been the strongest swimmer so there was a good chance he’d die on the way over to the island. He looked back at Lily, wanting to savor the sight of her for just a moment longer. He could see the fear and desperation in her eyes, and in that moment he vowed to make it to that island. He would stay alive and follow her across all oceans to bring her home. 

“Too long!” Snape slammed his boot onto the plank and it shook so forcefully that, with a gasp, James fell into the water below. He quickly bobbed to the surface and began to swim. A commotion behind him drew his attention and he turned around just in time to see Sirius Black being forced off the plank as well. _Great,_ he thought, _stuck on an island with that git._

When they finally made it to the island, they were both incredibly out of breath. James collapsed in the sand while Black stood, watching the _Black Pearl_ shrink into the distance. 

“That’s the second time I’ve had to watch that man sail away with my ship,” he said absently. “I hate this fucking island.” 

Before James could speak, Black took off down the beach. 

“Wait!” James scrambled up from the sand and followed him. “How are we going to escape?” 

“Escape?” Black echoed distractedly. 

“If you were marooned on this island before, we can escape the same way you did then,” James pulled Black backwards by the shoulder. 

“To what point and purpose, mate?” Black said dolefully. “The _Black Pearl_ is gone, and unless you have a rudder and a lot of sails on you somewhere, Lily will be dead long before you can reach her.” 

James threw a punch, which Black dodged easily. Black raised an eyebrow at him then sauntered away. James seethed as he watched him without following. He seemed quite mad as he strutted around, knocking on trees and inspecting rocks. 

“Are you Captain Sirius Black, or aren’t you?” James called, giving chase once more. “You vanished under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company. You sacked Nassau Port without even firing a shot. Are you the pirate I’ve read about or not?” 

Black looked at James with an unreadable expression. Then he heaved a great sigh and seemed to brace himself. 

“I was on this island a grand total of three days, all right?” he admitted. “The rumrunners were using this island as a cache, and when they came by I was able to barter passage off.” 

He stooped down and dug up a small handle that James wouldn’t have seen even if he’d been looking. Black lifted a wooden door, revealing a small set of stairs and a cellar. 

“By the looks of things, they’ve long been out of business,” Black said, going down into the cellar and coming back out with an armful of rum. 

“So that’s it then?” James stepped back and Black brushed past him back towards the beach. “That’s the secret grand adventure of the infamous Sirius Black? You spent three days lying on a beach drinking rum?” 

Black raised a bottle, not bothering to turn around, “Welcome to the Caribbean!” 

James felt deflated. He watched Black find a spot in the sand and throw himself down. He looked out at the horizon. The _Pearl_ had gone now but he thought he could still see a thin pillar of smoke from where the _Interceptor_ had blown to bits. He looked down at the cache of rum at his feet, an idea forming. 

He crossed the beach and stopped in front of Black. 

“I have an idea,” he said. “Will you help me?” 

Black squinted up at him, “You two were made for each other. Always so gallant and full of ideas. Let me hear it, and then I’ll see if I want to help.” 

James laid it all out for him, Black’s face unchanging as he spoke. When he was finished Black took off his hat and laid down in the sand. 

“It might work,” he said, putting his hat over his face to block out the sun. “But if it does, I’ll face the gallows.” 

“So you think Lily deserves to die instead?” James snatched Black’s hat so he could look at him. 

“Give it,” Black made a grab for the hat but James held it out of reach. “Give!” 

James stood up and danced away, “I’m going through with the plan with or without your help. So you can go hide and when I get rescued, we’re leaving you here to rot.” 

Black tried for the hat again but James danced away. They circled each other, dodging and grabbing and tripping over each other, and it would have been fun if James hadn’t been so angry. 

“All right!” Black threw up his hands. “Though I’m loathe to admit it, you’re right. Lily doesn’t deserve to die.” 

“So you’ll help?” 

“I’ll help.” 

They spent the better part of the night dragging up the kegs of supplies from the cache and piling it under a grove of palm trees. By the next morning, they were ready to execute the plan. 

“You’re sure this will work?” Black asked as James set it all alight. “If it doesn’t we’d have burned all of our supplies.” 

They flinched as a barrel exploded and the pile was encased in flames. 

“The entire Royal Navy is out looking for me,” James said, watching the palm trees catch fire. “Give it an hour, maybe two, keep a weather eye open and you’ll see.” 

With that, James sat down in the sand. After a moment’s hesitation Black sat too. They regarded each other silently when they thought the other wasn’t looking. 

“I think I’ve figured you out,” James finally spoke, weary of the silence. 

“Have you?” Black barked a laugh. 

“You only pretend to be a scoundrel. You enjoy being a good man,” said James. Black shifted uncomfortably. 

“How d’you reckon?” he eyed James dubiously. 

“I know you freed a hundred slaves from Cutler Beckett’s ship a few years ago,” he said. “No dastardly villain would do something like that. Not for free anyway.” 

“You seem to know a lot about the life of a pirate for someone of your…upbringing,” Black said evasively. 

James shrugged, “I’ve always found it fascinating.” 

There was another long silence as they listened to the fire burn behind them. 

“If I manage to escape the rope, you should join me on the _Pearl,_ ” Black offered. 

James’ mouth fell open in shock, “I can’t just run away and become a pirate!” 

“Of course you can! I did!” Black laughed. “It’d be fun! You can bring Lily along too!” 

“She’d punch you in the face if you so much as suggested it,” James grinned. 

Black shook his head and leaned back on an elbow, “She’d go if _you_ asked, mate.” 

James didn’t reply. Perhaps she would, but he’d never ask her to do that. And he couldn’t just run away. He loved his mother and father, and he had responsibilities. Besides, he always had a fond thought of marrying, and having a small army of children in a house by the sea. 

“What was that?” Black was grinning at him. “You had such a dewy look on your face just then.” 

James flushed in embarrassment, “Nothing. Never mind.” 

“Please tell me,” Black stuck his lower lip out in an absurd pout. “The last wish of a dying man.” 

“You’re not dying,” James threw a handful of sand at him. “I was just thinking…that if I manage to rescue Lily, I’m going to marry her, if she’ll have me. No matter what my father says.” 

Black’s face lit up like a star. He scooted closer, getting a little too close for James’ liking, “We’re going to make that happen for you, mate. I swear it on my honor.” 

“What little is left of it,” James scoffed and gave him a friendly shove. Black threw his head back and laughed out loud. 

“Black, can I ask you one more thing?” James asked. 

“Only if you call me Sirius.” 

James smiled, pleased. “Sirius, then. You really think I’d be a good pirate?” 

“Without a doubt,” Sirius gave him a grin. 


	4. Undead Men Tell Tales Sometimes

Lily wasn’t a religious woman, but she knew how to pray. She didn’t pray for her own salvation; she was resigned to the fact that she was going to die. But she prayed for James, for his cleverness and courage, that he’d find a way to get home. 

She’d been locked in her own cell while the rest of the crew had been shunted into one. She realized that after the battle between the two ships, she no longer feared going below deck. Perhaps she lost her fear when she sat talking with James. Or perhaps there were worse things to fear now. Their guards, Malfoy and Pettigrew, were mopping the floor with the filthiest water Lily had ever seen. Remus eyed Malfoy as he mopped. 

“You missed a spot,” he remarked, cheekily. Lily hid a smile and caught Pettigrew staring at her with the same mournful look that he’d been casting her all evening.

“You knew my father, didn’t you?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“B-Bootstrap Bill?” Pettigrew squeaked, nervously. He obviously hadn’t expected her to address him. 

“We knew him,” Malfoy replied. “It never sat well with him, what we did to Black. The mutiny and all. He said it wasn’t right with the Code.” 

“That’s why he sent off a piece of the treasure to you,” Pettigrew said. “Said we deserved to be cursed.” 

“He was right,” Mary said from the cell. Malfoy banged on the cell bars with the end of the mop, silencing her. 

“As you can imagine, that didn’t sit too well with the captain,” Malfoy continued. “So Captain Riddle strapped him to a cannon and threw him into the sea. The last we saw of him, he was sinking into the crushing black oblivion of Davy Jones’ Locker.” 

“Of course, it was only after that we learned we needed his blood to break the curse,” said Pettigrew. “That’s what you call ironic.” 

Lily was shaken by the story, her hands cold with the horror of it. Her kind-faced father, sinking into the dark water, drowning for eternity but never dying. 

“All right, that’s enough,” Remus said sharply. Malfoy gave him a sour look and opened his mouth to speak. Before he could get a word out, Remus launched into a truly remarkable tongue lashing, using language Lily hadn’t even heard of until then. Pettigrew trembled and made himself busy as far away from the cells as he could, while Malfoy simply went red in the face and resumed mopping. When they weren’t looking, Remus reached through the bars out to Lily. She smiled gratefully and took his hand. 

“If anything at all comes from this nightmare, at least I know my father will be set free,” she murmured. 

“We’ll think of something,” Remus said, trying to sound convincing. 

“Thank you,” Lily gave him a sad smile and sat down on the floor of her cell, leaning against the bars. “But I’m not sure there’s anything anyone can do.” 

“Remus reckons Sirius is coming after us,” Mary said. 

Lily didn’t say anything to that. She didn’t dare hope or even think about Sirius and James coming to rescue them. And from the look on Remus’ face, he didn’t quite believe it either. 

“There were never any sea turtles, were there?” she asked quietly. 

Remus shook his head and closed his eyes, “No.”

\---------------

James’ predictions were correct. Less than two hours later, they saw the proud mast of the _Dauntless_ appear on the horizon. The moment Sirius and James stepped foot on her deck, there was a flurry of commotion; his father weeping and embracing him, cheers from the crew, and most unexpectedly, Marlene running to him, trembling tearfully. 

“I knew you weren’t dead,” she said unconvincingly. 

“It’s good to see you too, Mar,” James gave a lock of her hair an affectionate tug. 

She shook her head distractedly, glancing behind him at the now empty longboat, “James…where’s Lily?” 

“She’s been kidnapped by the same pirate who took me,” James said loud enough for his father and Commodore McKinnon to hear. He gave everyone the abridged version of why Lily had been taken, Sirius nodding along and wisely keeping his thoughts to himself. When James had finished, he turned to his father. “We have to go after her.” 

“That’s out of the question,” Fleamont shook his head. “You’re safe now, so we will return home to your mother, not go gallivanting after pirates.” 

“Then we condemn her to death!” James shouted. 

Fleamont sighed, “The girl’s fate is regrettable. But so was her decision to engage in piracy.” 

“To save me!” 

“If I may be so bold as to inject my professional opinion,” Sirius spoke now, breaking away from his guards. “The _Pearl_ was listing near to scuppers after the battle. It’s very unlikely that she would be able to make good time.” 

He approached Commodore McKinnon, who bristled at his very presence. 

“Think about it,” said Sirius. “The _Black Pearl._ The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you let this opportunity go?” 

The Commodore looked back at him coldly, “By remembering that I serve others, Mr. Black. Not only myself.” 

He turned on his heel and Sirius was pulled backwards. James looked around helplessly. Then he and Marlene made eye contact and he knew. He discretely tapped his ring finger and Marlene’s eyes went round. She looked hesitant but after a nod from him, she steeled herself and lifted her chin. 

“Father,” Marlene’s voice shook as she approached the Commodore. “Please, I beg of you. Lily is very dear to both James and I. Would you consider doing this for me as- as a wedding gift?” 

The Commodore’s face had softened the moment she’d spoken, but now it was as happy as James had ever seen it. Fleamont looked just the same, his eyes shining. 

“Oh, a wedding! I love weddings,” James heard Sirius say behind him. “Drinks all around!” 

This made James smile for a moment, although he still felt incredibly ill. The Commodore looked at Sirius, a shadow falling back over his face. 

“I know,” Sirius said weakly, holding out his wrists. “’Clap him in irons’ right?” 

“Mr. Black, you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with a bearing to Isla de Muerta,” he said firmly. “You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase ‘silent as the grave.’ Do I make myself clear?” 

“Inescapably clear,” Sirius replied mirthlessly. He gave James a sorrowful look as he was led away by the guards. Marlene very gingerly took James’ arm. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” she murmured. James looked to his father and his future father-in-law. They both gave a nod of assent and he allowed Marlene to lead him below.

“How did you manage to convince your father to let you come?” James asked as she redressed his bandage. 

“I’m very clever,” she replied. “I’ve been playing the besotted sop since you disappeared.” 

“That is clever,” James agreed. 

“James, you’re not really going to marry me, are you?” she set down the bandages and looked at him. 

“I am,” he nodded, flexing his hand slowly. 

Marlene made a disgusted sound, “But you can’t. After all this you can’t just let her go.” 

“Your father wouldn’t have done it otherwise.” 

“If I had pleaded as Lily’s friend—” 

“Your father would have sailed into treacherous waters with a pirate so that the man you’re supposed to be in love with can go rescue another woman?” James raised an eyebrow and Marlene shut her mouth. 

She looked at her hands, “I suppose not.” 

James lay down on the small cot embedded into the wall of the cabin and flung an arm over his eyes. 

“Wake me when we get there,” he mumbled. He heard Marlene sigh softly and take her leave. And in spite of himself, the moment the door shut, the tears began to fall.

\----------------

“I don’t care for the situation,” Commodore McKinnon said gravely as he peered through his spyglass. He and Sirius sat side by side in a longboat just outside the mouth of the cave of Isla de Muerta. They had made excellent time, and Sirius had been a very good boy. He knew these next few hours were crucial, and hopefully by the end, everyone would get their happy ending. Although, he would feel a lot better about things if Remus were around. There were a few snags in the plan that he would have liked ironed out before diving into the belly of the beast. But he wasn’t, and so here they were. 

“Any attempt to storm the cave could turn into an ambush,” McKinnon said, collapsing his spyglass. 

“Not if you’re the one doing the ambushing,” Sirius pointed out. “How’s about this? I convince Riddle to send out his men in their little boats. You and your mates return to the _Dauntless,_ and blast the bejesus out of them with your cannons. What do you have to lose?” 

“Nothing I’d lament being rid of,” McKinnon said acidly. 

Sirius winced, but he knew he had to keep talking, “Now to be honest, there’s still a risk to those aboard the _Dauntless._ That includes your lovely daughter and her bonny fiancé.” 

The Commodore’s stony expression didn’t waver but he gave a low order to one of the crew, who passed it along from boat to boat until it reached the _Dauntless._ Sirius could feel some relief now, knowing James would be looked after. 

So the Commodore agreed to send Sirius in alone, much to Sirius’ surprise. He reckoned he would have to do a lot more convincing. He hoped he could charm Riddle that easily. If he couldn’t get him to send out his merry band of fools, then the entire plan was shot. 

When he reached the cave with the stone chest, the crew of the Pearl were already chanting and hooting barbarically, so he politely edged his way through the crowd. 

“Pardon me,” he said, bumping into Greyback. “’Scuse me, mate.” 

One by one the pirates fell silent around him, gaping at his return. 

“That’s not possible,” Riddle glared at him, clutching the stone knife. Sirius felt a pang of anxiety and he realized he’d arrived not a moment too soon. Lily was bent over the stone chest with her hair drawn away from her face. She’d had her head down, but upon hearing the abrupt halt, she looked up and saw him, her green eyes stretching wide. 

“Not _probable,_ ” Sirius corrected, approaching the stone dais. Before he could climb up, Snape reached out a hand and grabbed him by the shoulder, stopping him. Sirius looked at his hand, then at his ugly mug and decided to leave it for a moment. 

“Where’s James?” Lily cried. 

“Safe and sound just like I promised,” Sirius replied. “And he’s all set to marry Marlene just like _he_ promised, and you’re getting ready to die for him just like _you_ promised. So we’re all men of our word, really. Of course, except for you because you are, in fact, a woman.” 

“Shut up!” Riddle hissed. “You’re next!” 

Malfoy forced Lily’s head back over the stone chest and Riddle brought the knife to her neck. 

“Your funeral,” Sirius said loudly enough for everyone to hear. Riddle stilled his hand and Sirius saw him look up at the ceiling as if praying for restraint. 

“Why?” Riddle lowered the knife, his knuckles white around the hilt as he turned his chilly gaze on Sirius. 

“Well because—” Sirius began to move forward, realized Snape still had him by the shoulder, and slapped his hand away. “Because the _H.M.S Dauntless,_ pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just offshore, waiting for you.” 

A wave of panic rippled through the crew of the Pearl, and they were all eyeing Lily and the knife in Riddle’s hand. Sirius climbed up the stone dais and approached Riddle. 

“So hear me out,” Sirius said, speaking quickly before Riddle changed his mind and shot him. “You order your men to row out to the _Dauntless,_ they do what they do best. Robert’s your uncle, Fanny’s your aunt. There you are with two ships. The makings of your very own fleet.” 

This seemed to spark Riddle’s curiosity, his cold, dead eyes watching Sirius with interest. 

“Go on,” he said, folding his arms. 

“You’ll take the grandest ship for your own, who’s to argue that?” Sirius looked out at the crowd as if anyone would, in fact, argue. “But what of the _Pearl?_ Name me captain and I’ll sail under your colors, give you ten percent of my plunder, and you get to address yourself as _Commodore_ Riddle. Savvy?” 

Sirius could practically see Riddle’s mouth watering at the thought of it. 

“I suppose in exchange, you want me not to kill the whelp?” he inclined his head towards Lily. 

“No, no, by all means, kill the whelp,” Sirius said, and Lily gave a huff of indignation. “But wait to lift the curse until the _opportune_ moment.” 

He didn’t dare look at Lily but he hoped somehow she knew he was still on her side. Hoped she was exactly as smart as she made herself out to be. He scooped up a handful of the coins in Cortés’ chest. 

“For instance, wait until _after_ you’ve killed McKinnon’s men. Every. Last. One,” here Sirius dropped a coin at every word, ending his performance and giving Riddle something to think about. Unseen by anyone, he slipped a single coin into his sleeve. 

“You’ve been planning this from the beginning,” Lily said, furiously. “Ever since you learned my name.” 

“Er…yeah,” Sirius shrugged. He searched her face, hoping to find she was faking. If she was, she was a better actress than he gave her credit for. With no small amount of surprise, he found that his feelings were hurt that’d she’d lost faith in him. 

“I want fifty percent of your plunder,” Riddle said, as if Lily hadn’t spoken at all. 

“Fifteen!” Sirius shot back. 

“Forty.” 

“Twenty-five!” said Sirius and Riddle stopped to consider it. “Twenty-five and I’ll buy you a new hat. A really big one. Commodore.” 

“We have an accord,” Riddle nodded and Sirius was now forced to shake the vile man’s hand. 

“All hands to the boats,” Sirius shouted out to the crew. No one moved and Riddle gave him a chilling look. “Apologies. You give the orders.” 

Riddle rolled his eyes and looked out at the crew, “Gents. Take a walk.” 

The crew laughed darkly and they slithered off into the tunnels. 

“ _Not_ to the boats?” Sirius asked, his stomach filling with dread. Riddle frowned and Sirius decided this was a good time to shut up. He glanced around and found Peter. He took a small step so they were shoulder to shoulder. 

“What did he mean ‘take a walk?’” Sirius asked in a low voice. 

“Sometimes we ambush a moored ship by walking on the seafloor,” he explained, seeming eager to get on Sirius’ good side again now that he was to be captain of the _Pearl_ again. That, or he was just stupid. “And then we climb the mooring lines and anchor chains while the crew is unawares.” 

Sirius winced and looked at Lily. She blinked for a moment then her eyes widened in outrage. 

“James is on the _Dauntless,_ isn’t he?” she exclaimed. Sirius nodded and she threw her head back. “Excellent. Any chance they won’t kill him?” She looked at Malfoy and Peter.

They both shook their heads. 

“Wonderful,” she said, glaring daggers at Sirius. 

“If it helps, Marlene is with him. Lovely girl. Smart,” he said, trying to sound cheerful. 

“It _doesn’t_ help, thank you.” 

“Well it should,” he said meaningfully. Lily caught his eye and the rage inside of her seemed to fizzle out until she looked merely confused. Sirius turned away from her and sent up a silent prayer to every god there was. He knew that he was as clever as they come, but they needed a bit more than cleverness to get out of this mess.

\---------------------

James had been watching the longboats from the prow of the _Dauntless_ when he was instructed to remain under guard in the captain’s cabin. He had an inkling that Sirius hadn’t told the Commodore about the curse, but no one was listening to his pleas to send a message to the boats. And now he was being told to lock himself up. 

“No,” he frowned. “Why should I?” 

“It’s for your own protection, Mr. Potter,” Mr. Podmore said amicably. “And we’re under orders to take you by force if necessary.” 

“Then you’re going to have to use force,” James lifted his chin. 

Mr. Podmore sighed ruefully then nodded to two guards who unceremoniously seized James by both arms. 

“Unhand me this instant!” he shouted and struggled against them. “I have to tell him about the curse!” 

“I assure you, he knows all about it,” Mr. Podmore said with a smirk. “A little mermaid flopped up on deck and told him the whole story.” 

With that, he snapped the doors of the cabin shut and locked them from the outside. 

“James!” Marlene was behind him. “It’s about time.” 

“Sorry, am I late?” James turned and was shocked to find Marlene wearing a sailor’s uniform. “Good heavens.” 

“Stop it,” Marlene glowered at him, her face red. “This is entirely indecent but Black said it was necessary.” 

“You spoke to Sirius?” James didn’t bother to hide his surprise. “About what?” 

“About springing you out of here,” Marlene went to one of the windows and opened it. “He knew you’d try something stupid so he decided to circumvent that and just involve you in the plan.” 

“Oh? And why wasn’t I informed?” 

“Because you’re terrible at acting, and they would have known something was up if you just sidled on in here to be locked away,” Marlene strapped a pistol to her waist then handed one to James. “Can you use that?” 

“Of course,” he replied indignantly. 

“Good,” Marlene kicked open one of the windows and dropped what looked like a pile of laundry out of it. The laundry turned out to be a rope made up of Commodore McKinnon’s linens. They each rappelled down it into a longboat below, James nearly capsizing the boat as he slipped the last foot or so. 

“Start rowing,” Marlene whispered. “We have to free Sirius’ crew from the _Black Pearl._ ” 

“We have to _what?_ ” James hissed. 

“Did I not say that?” 

“No!” 

“Oh. Well, we’re springing some folks from the brig,” Marlene’s cheeks were flushed n the low light, and her eyes dancing with excitement. 

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” James said as he started rowing. “Why do _I_ have to row?” 

“Because I’m a lady, I’ve never actually rowed a boat before,” said Mar. 

“It’s not hard, I could show you.” 

“No.” 

They crossed the dark stretch of water to the _Pearl_ and, though it seemed abandoned, James reckoned they’d left some guards behind just in case. He could hear Marlene swearing under her breath the entire climb up the hull of the ship, but she managed to scramble over the rail. 

“Below,” James said when he joined her. They tip-toed down the stairs as fast as they could and found Remus and the others crammed into one cell. 

“James!” Remus cried, a grin on his face. “You’re not dead!” 

“Shocking, isn’t it?” James gave him a smirk. “How do I get you out of here?” 

“Keys,” Mary pointed behind him, drawing his attention to the keys hanging on a hook on the wall. Marlene grabbed them quickly and unlocked the cell door. She jumped back as everyone poured out and snatched up their weapons, seeming rather uncomfortable. 

“Sirius?” Remus looked to James, his eyebrows knitted together in concern. 

“As far as I know he’s still alive, but he went into the cave to save Lily,” James explained as they made their way up to the deck. If there had been guards, someone must have taken care of them already, because the deck was clear. 

“All right, everyone!” James went over to the longboat and started getting ready to lift it. “Sirius and Lily are still in that cave and we’ve got to save them! Ready, and _heave!_ ”

James pulled on the rope and the longboat merely listed to the side. That’s when he realized he was standing alone. He looked backwards at everyone and saw Marlene talking quietly with Remus and Mary. 

“What?” he demanded. “What’s wrong?” 

“Captain Black said that he wanted them to leave with the _Black Pearl._ He said to keep to the Code?” Marlene said unsurely. “Said it was an order.” 

“And Sirius owes me a ship anyway,” Mary pointed out. “I say we go.” 

“Remus!” James pleaded. “Come on, I need your help!” 

Remus looked torn, glancing between James and Marlene. 

“Fine, I can do it without the lot of you!” James spun around and started readying the longboat, with some difficulty. Then Marlene joined him, a bit clumsy as she helped, but helping nonetheless. 

“Are you coming?” he asked her when the long boat was ready to launch. 

“I think I should go back to the _Dauntless._ I wouldn’t be any help to you out there,” Marlene smiled ruefully. “I’m rubbish with a weapon anyway.” 

James nodded, reaching out to squeeze her hand, “Thank you for your help, Mar. I’ll see you soon.” 

“I’ll hold you to that,” James couldn’t miss the worry in her eyes as she squeezed his hand back. As James was climbing into the longboat, Remus approached him. 

“I convinced the crew to wait an hour offshore,” he said quietly. “Tell Sirius to find us. He’ll know how.” 

“Thank you,” James sighed, feeling less angry with him now. “See you on the other side, brother.” 

They shook hands and James set off. He was vaguely aware that the sailors from the Commodore’s party had fled the mouth of the cave. He heard distant shouts and the sound of gunfire coming from the _Dauntless_ and realized with dread that they were under attack. There was nothing to do now except keep pushing on into the pitch black cave.

\---------------------

They wouldn’t let Lily sit down and that small fact was beginning to grate on her already frayed nerves. She watched Sirius wander aimlessly about the cave, picking things up and inspecting them as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He hadn’t so much as looked at her since the initial rescue, and she wasn’t at all sure whether he actually had a plan, but she thought she’d better go along with whatever he had in mind. Just in case. 

She was standing in the center of the chamber, below the stone dais. Snape was at her side, a little too close for comfort. Riddle was perched several feet away, watching Sirius, while Pettigrew and Malfoy stood not far off as guards. This night was getting increasingly dull. She thought about how much more interesting it was just before she was about to be martyred. 

“I must admit, Sirius, I thought I had you all figured out,” Riddle’s voice startled her as it reverberated around the cave. “But it turns out you’re a hard man to predict.” 

Sirius smiled to himself as he examined a small goblet, “The trick is I’m dishonest.” 

Lily raised an eyebrow as he tossed the goblet away. 

“A dishonest man, you can always trust to be dishonest,” he said, dancing across the wet rocks towards Riddle. “Honestly. It’s the honest ones you have to look out for. Because you can never predict when they’re going to do something incredibly...stupid.” 

With that, he shoved Pettigrew into the water, snatching his sword as he fell. Lily only had a second to catch up before he tossed the sword to her. She caught it in her bound hands then turned to the side as Snape swung at her. His sword cut right through her ties and she launched herself at him like a wild thing. It felt good to land a punch or two to his smug, stupid face before he managed to throw her off. Before Snape could get a blow in, she jumped back. She snagged a quick look at Sirius and found he was holding his own against Riddle, Sirius looking fiercer than she’d ever seen him. They were locked in combat close to the stone dais, their swords merely silver blurs. 

“You’re off the edge of the map, Black!” Riddle growled, his voice hissing across the water. “Here there be monsters!” 

With a yell that sounded half-mad with both glee and panic, Sirius disappeared from the cavern, leading Riddle into the tunnels. Watching them disappear made Lily nervous, but she had other things to worry about now that Snape had found his footing. 

Snape was a skilled swordsman, Lily had to admit. He almost got her once or twice. Almost. But she was fast and he only grew angrier as she kept just out of reach. That left him open to mistakes. With a singular thrust, Lily stabbed him in the gut. He swore and gave her a poisonous glare but remained standing. Her heart stuttered in panic and she quickly stabbed him again. 

“You’re out of your depth, Lily Evans,” Snape’s lip curled in an ugly sneer and he held his arms out at his sides. He stepped backwards into a pool of moonlight and Lily felt her stomach heave. 

The flesh melted off his bones and his clothes hung off of him in filthy, tattered rags. All that remained was a leering, rotting skeleton. Lily had believed James with her whole heart when he told her about the curse, but seeing it before her eyes was another thing entirely. She quickly decided that she would very much like to live to fight another day. She had to find Sirius and then they would run. What happened after that was a bit up in the air but Lily Evans always made do. Swallowing the sick feeling in her throat, she quickly backed away from him. She turned to make a dash for the cave entrance and found Malfoy blocking her path. With a scowl, she shifted onto her toes and prepared to attack.

Then she heard Sirius shout from above them and looked up just in time to see Riddle bury his sword in his chest. She let out a scream as Sirius curled in, looking like he would fall. Then he raised his head with a smirk and stepped backwards into a patch of moonlight. She couldn’t decide whether to be relieved or horrified as he too turned into a walking skeleton. Snape and Malfoy also paused to watch as Sirius procured the gold coin he had nicked from the chest and rolled it back and forth between his skeletal fingers. 

“I just couldn’t resist, mate,” he said with a sly grin. Riddle was white with fury. He grabbed a handful of coins and threw them in Sirius’ face, knocking him back. Lily watched them disappear into the shadows, hearing the sounds of the battle raging on. Then Malfoy and Snape converged on her. Snape seized her by the hair and breathed down her neck. 

“Pity I can’t kill you yet. But I can still show you the true meaning of fear,” he forced her to her knees and shoved her head into the water. She thrashed against him, choking on the water that flooded her nose and mouth. Then the weight was lifted and she sprang up, coughing and retching. James was standing before her, armed with what looked like a long golden harpoon. 

“All right, Evans?” he grinned at her. 

“James!” she smiled back and jumped to her feet. She didn’t dare touch him, afraid she would crush him if she did. The moment passed quickly as his eyes flickered past her and a quizzical look came over his face. Skeletons Riddle and Sirius were below them now, fighting in a pool of water. 

“Whose side is Sirius on?” James asked, shaking his head. 

“At the moment?” Lily gave him a smirk then grabbed the harpoon. Fighting side by side with James wasn’t the romantic vision Lily had in mind, but it was a thrill like anything she’d ever experienced. They fought without speaking; they simply seemed to know each other’s next move by sight alone. They’d lined up Pettigrew, Malfoy, and Snape so perfectly, that everyone in the cave was surprised when James and Lily took hold of the harpoon and ran them through. The harpoon, or perhaps it had been a curtain rod all along, was hooked at both ends so the three skeletons were stuck through, unable to pull free. Peter was in the middle, trying frantically to get free, while Snape and Malfoy looked more shocked and infuriated that they had been bested. James began laughing as they struggling uselessly. 

“Let’s not celebrate just yet,” Lily picked up a small bomb off the ground, lit it, then shoved it into Pettigrew’s chest cavity. James kicked the rod and the three of them fell out of the moonlight, trapping the bomb inside of Pettigrew. 

“Not fair,” he whimpered. James and Lily quickly ran towards the center of the chamber as the bomb went off, sending smoking bits of debris flying. She saw Sirius and Riddle both stop to look over. As she scrambled up the stone dais with James only a few feet behind her, she saw Sirius take the coin in his hand and cut his palm while Riddle was distracted. Then he tossed it to her and she caught it in one hand. They hadn’t been fast enough, though, Riddle had seen the coin toss. He drew his pistol and aimed it at James, but he may as well have been pointing it at Lily’s heart. James stopped dead, his eyes wide and locked on the pistol. 

The crack of gunfire filled the cave like thunder. For a moment no one moved. Then Riddle frowned, looking curiously at his still loaded pistol. He turned slowly to Sirius. Sirius held his pistol at chest level to Riddle, the barrel of it smoking. 

“Eight years you carry that pistol and now you waste your shot?” Riddle asked smugly. 

“He didn’t waste it,” Lily called down from the stone dais. She opened her hand, letting the bloody coin and her father’s medallion fall back into the chest. Realization dawned on Riddle’s face and he looked down at his chest. Blood blossomed red under his shirt and he dropped his gun with a clatter. 

“I feel…” he whispered faintly. “Cold.” 

Lily felt a chill wind sweep through the cave as Captain Tom Riddle fell to the ground.

\----------------------

Later, James stood quietly at the edge of the pool, looking into the water below. Lily’s soft footsteps announced her presence behind him before she even spoke. He turned and smiled at her, happy beyond measure to see her face. She smiled back at him and drew closer. The air spun itself tight around them and James touched her arm to draw her near. Then the sound of crashing and breaking glass reminded him that they weren’t alone. Sirius was standing not far off, rifling through the treasure that surrounded them.

“We should get back to the _Dauntless,_ ” he said, putting his hands behind his back. 

Lily’s face was still as she nodded, “Your fiancée will be wanting to know you’re safe.” 

James felt a stab of pain in his chest. He ducked his head and said nothing. Lily turned quickly and made her way back to the longboat while James stared after her. Sirius came up behind him, so clad in jewels and gold that he sounded like he was wearing a suit of armor as he moved. 

“If you were waiting for the opportune moment,” he said, looking at Lily as well, “that was it.” 

“Piss off,” James grumbled and gave him a shove. 

“Gladly,” said Sirius. “If you’d be so kind as to drop me off at my ship.” 

The three of them piled into the longboat and James rowed them out into the bay. They searched for as long as they dared, but the _Black Pearl_ was nowhere to be found. 

“I’m sorry, Sirius,” James said, and he meant it. 

“They did what’s right by them,” Sirius replied, sounding weary. “Can’t blame them for that.” 

The trip back to the _Dauntless_ was silent as the grave. They all knew their only option was to bring Sirius with them, or he would die on that island. Still, it was no comfort when Commodore McKinnon clapped him in irons and sent him down to the brig. James found Marlene quite safe in the captain’s cabin. She almost ignored him completely when she saw Lily standing beside him. 

“I was so worried!” she cried, pulling Lily into a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe.” 

“Me too,” Lily said, looking fit to collapse. “Can we go rest, please?” 

“Of course,” Marlene took Lily’s face in her hands and kissed the top of her head. James felt envy wash over him and he had to look away. 

“I’ll come see you later,” Marlene whispered on her way out. James gave her a wan smile and sat down heavily. Lily cast him a sad, tired look over her shoulder and waved. 

He didn’t see her again for the entire voyage home. In fact, he didn’t see her again until the morning of Sirius’ execution.

\-----------------------

Lily stood calmly in the hot sun. Only the nervous tapping of her foot gave away her inner turmoil. Upon returning to Port Royal, she’d been given a pardon and a rather large sum of money. Money she used to leave Mr. Brown’s shop and set out on her own. She now lived in a small house at the edge of town, overlooking the seaside. This was where she planned on starting her own school for girls. She thought it was high time someone got around to teaching the young ladies of the day to defend themselves. But she decided to let the rumors that she’d become a pirate fizzle out before she set out to do that. 

The crowd began to boo and hiss as the guards brought Sirius out to the gallows. He didn’t look afraid in the least. In fact he swaggered up the stairs like he owned the place, smirking like he and death were old friends. Lily felt her heart flutter like a panicked bird in her ribcage as someone in a wig began reading off Sirius’ crimes. 

“This is wrong.” 

James’ voice came from behind her and she turned her head slightly to look. He was standing beside his mother and father with Marlene on his arm. She loved them both but it still soured something in her to see them together. 

“Commodore McKinnon is bound by the law,” Governor Potter said. “As are we all.” 

Lily cast one last look at Sirius then took a breath. She turned and marched over to the Potters and McKinnons. 

“Good afternoon,” she said, nodding deeply to them. 

Governor Potter and his wife each gave her a small smile while Commodore McKinnon regarded her coldly. Marlene raised an eyebrow at her, looking intrigued. Lily swallowed hard. 

“James,” she turned her eyes on him and saw him blink in surprise. “I should have told you this every day from the moment I met you.” 

Lily thought it would be so hard to say the words after all these years, but in fact, nothing had ever been easier. 

“I love you.” 

“Good heavens,” Euphemia put a hand to her chest. She saw Marlene start to giggle then cover her mouth. James looked at a loss for words, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Lily didn’t have time to let him recover. She had a pirate to save. 

She turned quickly and shoved her way through the crowd. 

“Out of the way!” she shouted through the sea of people. Behind her, Commodore McKinnon called for his guards and she knew he figured out what she was up to. The noose was around Sirius’ neck now. She had to be fast. She drew her sword and, as the executioner pulled the lever, she threw it as hard as she could. It stuck in the trap door just as Sirius fell, and he balanced on the blade on the very tips of his toes. 

“Bloody hell! You couldn’t have done that sooner?” he yelled at her. 

The crowd was in a panic now and Lily could see the guards swarming towards her. She snatched a sword out of someone’s scabbard and hauled herself onto the platform. The executioner swung his ax at her and she feinted left. The ax swung through the air and instead cut through the hangman’s noose. Propelled by his own momentum, the executioner stumbled and Lily used that moment of imbalance to shove him hard, sending him flying into the first wave of guards. She then leapt down from the platform and landed next to Sirius. 

“Run!” she cried and they both sprinted across the courtyard. They would take the back stairwells and disappear through the drainage tunnels. They were nearly there. 

Then Lily found herself staring down the business end of a musket. Then there was a wall of muskets blocking their path both forward and back. 

“You take the one on the left, I’ll take the one on the right?” she said to Sirius, giving him a weak smile. 

“I thought we would have to endure some sort of ill-conceived escape attempt,” Commodore McKinnon looked smug as he approached them, Governor Potter at his side. Then he looked at Lily with contempt. “But not from you.” 

“Upon our return to Port Royal, I granted you clemency. And _this_ is how you thank me?” Governor Potter didn’t look so much angry as disappointed. “By throwing in your lot with _him?_ He’s a pirate!” 

“And a good man!” Lily shot back. She dropped her sword and glared at them. “If all I have achieved here is that the hangman will earn two pairs of boots instead of one, so be it. At least my conscience will be clear.” 

“You forget your place, girl,” Commodore McKinnon said, looming over her. 

Lily lifted her chin, “I know my place, Commodore. It’s right here. Between you and Sirius.” 

“As is mine,” James shoved his way through the crowd and took Lily’s hand. When he did, Lily knew she was never going to let go again. 

“James!” Governor Potter paled. “Lower your weapons! For heaven’s sake, put them down!” 

The guards reluctantly lowered their muskets. Commodore McKinnon looked like he wanted to strangle James with his bare hands. 

“You forget your responsibilities,” he said threateningly. He put a hand on his sword. 

“Father,” the crowd parted like the Red Sea as Marlene approached. “Keep that thing in its sheathe where it belongs, thank you. I don’t want to marry James any more than he wants to marry me. So let’s all drop it, please.” 

Commodore McKinnon sputtered wordlessly as he faced his daughter. 

“Well!” Sirius threw up his hands and stepped in front of James and Lily. “I’m actually feeling rather good about this. I think we’ve arrived at a very special place, haven’t we?”

He took Marlene’s hand and kissed it. She rolled her eyes and wiped the back of her hand on her skirt. 

“James,” Sirius said gravely, putting a hand on James’ shoulder. “It never would have worked between us.” 

James blushed and Lily threw her head back and laughed. 

Sirius strode over to the edge of the parapet and Lily saw a dazzling smile spread across his face. 

“Ladies and gents!” he turned, throwing his arms wide. “You will always remember this as the day that you—” 

Before he could finish, he tripped and fell backwards over the edge of the fortress. Lily gasped and was the first to rush forward, James right beside her. They looked down at the rocks and the surging foam. A second later, Sirius’ head bobbed up and he waved. Lily sighed in relief and waved back. 

“Lucky bastard,” James laughed, hand on the small of Lily’s back. 

“He’s got nowhere to go,” Marlene said. 

“Sail ho!” someone shouted. 

They all looked up and saw the _Black Pearl_ sailing into the bay. Lily looked at James and they both grinned. 

“What’s your course of action, sir?” Mr. Podmore asked the Commodore. 

McKinnon looked beside himself and Lily very nearly felt sorry for him. After all, this was the second time Sirius Black had escaped his capture. 

“Perhaps on the rare occasion,” it was Governor Potter who spoke first, “pursuing the right course of action demands an act of piracy, piracy itself can be the right course?” 

Commodore McKinnon looked at the Governor and heaved a sigh, “Miss Evans?” 

Lily took a breath and started to let go of James’ hand but he held on. She looked up at him and saw the pleading look in his eyes as he pulled her closer. 

“I will accept the consequences of my actions,” she murmured. He looked pained but he nodded and let her go. She turned to Commodore McKinnon with her shoulders squared.

Commodore McKinnon held up the sword in his hand. The sword she had made what seemed to be a lifetime ago. 

“This is a beautiful sword,” he said. “I would expect the person who made it to show the same care and devotion in every aspect of their life.” 

Lily blinked in shock. The Commodore gave her a curt nod and turned on his heel away from her. 

“Father, you’re not going after Black?” Marlene followed him and he paused. 

“I think we can afford to give him one day’s head start,” said McKinnon. He held out his hand to her and she went to him. Marlene cast one last look over her shoulder at Lily and winked. Lily smiled at her and gave her a little salute in parting. As the soldiers moved off, most of them looking a little confused, Lily went back to James, taking both of his hands in hers. 

“So,” Governor Potter cleared his throat. “This is the path you’ve chosen? After all, she is a blacksmith.” 

“No,” James said, looking away from his father and into Lily’s eyes. “She’s a pirate.” 

Lily smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. When they kissed it was as everything in a world had led up to it, and everything in the world was now made right because of it. 

The _Black Pearl_ was small speck against the setting sun when they parted. Lily laid her head on James’ chest and she could almost imagine Sirius at the helm, a grin on his face.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Captain Sirius Black,” she said. 

James’ chest rumbled in a soft chuckle. “No. I don’t suppose we have.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I enjoyed writing this so, so much! Thank you to Team Proof-Read, I love you all and appreciate the time you take to review my chapters before I put them out. I have some exciting ideas for new fics and I can't wait to share them!


End file.
